


What I'm looking for

by MissGryffindor



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Jon and the Starks Are Not Related
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2019-02-27 14:50:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 91,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13250520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissGryffindor/pseuds/MissGryffindor
Summary: Sansa Stark is a successful actress looking for more from her life.  Jon Snow, her brother's best friend, is approaching thirty and looking to settle down.  Will both of them be able to find what they are looking for?





	1. Chapter 1

As she stepped out of her new pair of Manolos and curled up on the sofa with a glass of sparkling wine, Sansa Stark reflected that her life must look pretty good to those peering in from the outside.

It was her twenty-eighth birthday, and she had celebrated it with a dinner at one of the most exclusive restaurants in Los Angeles with her closest friends and boyfriend. On a trip to the bathroom she’d even overheard another couple of patrons complimenting her dress and saying how happy she looked.

“But it is all a lie”, Sansa muttered softly to herself. She unpinned her hair from the elaborate bun Mordane had set it up in when she’d visited the salon that afternoon, and ran her fingers through her tresses.

 _It is all a lie_. It was a thought which came to her unbidden, but perhaps a birthday was as good a time to reflect as the start of a new year. On the surface of it, she had everything – the successful acting career she’d worked hard for and a gorgeous and attentive boyfriend who treated her well, and always stood back at red carpet events to let her shine.

But, the life portrayed in the trashy celebrity magazines Sansa had come to despise was not the one she truly led.

Sansa knew that women cursed her luck at landing LA Galaxy midfielder Loras Tyrell. Loras was good-looking to the point of stopping traffic, his soccer career meant that he was physically very fit, and he treated Sansa far better than her previous two boyfriends (Joffrey, who had beaten her while high on coke, and Harry, who had cheated on her with his co-star Myranda Royce).

The only thing was, Sansa knew for a fact that she wasn’t the person who starred in Loras’s wet dreams any more than he was the person who starred in her own.

Loras was, however, the favourite brother of her close friend Margaery, the only person from her modelling days Sansa had kept in touch with and trusted. And so, when Sansa had bemoaned magazine articles linking her to every available man in the business (and some who weren’t available) when she truly wasn’t emotionally ready to date again, Margaery had suggested she and Loras help each other out.

As comfortable as he was with his own sexuality, Margaery explained that Loras couldn’t be out at work – not while he was still playing professionally. If Sansa were to pretend to date him, it would get the paparazzi off her back and give Loras some breathing space.

Mostly, they spent a couple of nights a week in each other’s spare rooms and went out for the odd meal. Loras attended her at red carpet events and she went to a few of his matches. It was an arrangement that worked well, and had done for the best part of a year, but Sansa knew in her heart that it wasn’t real.

She supposed that, in a way, her career was close to what she had always hoped for. Shunning the modelling world at nineteen to study at the prestigious Julliard School in her home city of New York, Sansa had worked hard to build her reputation as a dedicated and talented actress. She had a starring role in LA Medics, long-established as one of the best shows on network television, and spent the off-season filming supporting roles in successful films – one of which had even been nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.

But LA Medics had become dangerously safe, Sansa admitted to herself. Sad but true. It meant she had a regular income and had paid for her Hollywood Hills house several times over, but it no longer challenged her. Her role as Doctor Jonquil Florian was one that she could perform in her sleep. Recalling the advice of her mentor at Julliard, Sansa picked up her mobile and scrolled through her contact list until she reached the name of her agent.

“Sansa?” Sansa immediately felt guilty for calling at such a late hour; she had forgotten that Brienne usually started her days with a 5am yoga session.

“Yeah, sorry for the hour.”

“Its fine”, Brienne yawned. “Is everything alright with you? Did you get that birthday bouquet I had sent round?”

“I did. The roses were beautiful, thank you. And everything isn’t fine, which is sort of why I’m calling.”

“Oh?” Sansa took a deep breath in, knowing she would feel better when she said her piece.

“I had a mentor at Julliard – her name was Shae, I think I’ve mentioned her before. Anyway, she once told me that being a good actress wasn’t about building up a perfect, long-term relationship between you and your character, and if you ever feel too safe and secure in a role then it is time to try something different. I think – I think I want to take a break from LA Medics.”

Sansa felt a weight lift off her shoulders. It felt good to acknowledge that she needed to make changes to her life. She should’ve done so long ago, but after the problems she’d had with Joff and Harry stability had seemed a good thing. For so long, LA Medics and her family had been the only stable things in Sansa’s life.

“A break? Are you sure, Sansa? The show just got renewed for another two seasons and this will likely be the high point of it. The film roles you’ve had over the last few years have been – in large part – due to the fact that you’ve been in the public eye as a central figure in a huge show. I’m not trying to push you to stay, only to consider the consequences of leaving.”

“I know.” Brienne actually cared about her clients, and it was the main reason Sansa had signed up with her agency.

“But I also think this is something I need to do. Short-term, I accept what you’re saying. But, Brienne, long-term I think this is something I really have to do. I know you’ve got contract negotiations coming up with the network – I don’t want to sign the deal they’re offering, and I want to take the next year off to do something different.”

“I’ll talk to Selmy in the morning”, Brienne promised. “You play one of their most popular characters; we’ll use that to our advantage in securing you a break from filming rather than have them turn round and remove the contract offer entirely. Have you thought much about what you want this something different to be?”

“I want to go home”, Sansa sighed, suddenly feeling incredibly homesick for New York winters and snow that closed Fifth Avenue. For Sunday lunches with her family and those stupid arguments with her younger sister, Arya.

“I want to go back to New York and work there for a while; I’ve been thinking the last year or so about doing some theatre. I used to get offers, but I haven’t had any recently. Not musicals, but something dramatic and a character that isn’t anything like Jonquil. Can you see if there are any auditions available?”

“I will do. I’ll call you tomorrow after my meeting with Selmy. Night, Sansa.”

“Night”, Sansa smiled. “And thanks again. The flowers really were beautiful.”

That night, Sansa slept better than she had done in months.

**********

Jon Snow cracked open a celebratory beer, marvelling at his new-found status as a man of property. He had signed papers earlier on that day to confirm his purchase of a beautiful brownstone in Brooklyn.

It was in need of some TLC, but once he’d decorated, got the plumbing and electrics sorted and replaced both the bathroom and the kitchen it would look like the home he’d always craved. And in just thirty days, it would truly all be his. He hoped his grandmother could see him now, and know that he had put his inheritance to good use.

He picked up his phone from where he’d left it on the counter before his shower, and checked to see if he had any new messages. There was one from his mobile network offering a new deal that he promptly deleted, a reminder from his aunt that his father’s birthday was coming up, and a third from his ex-girlfriend Val.

Jon gazed at the three words she had sent him.

_I miss you._

Jon put the phone down, and took a long swig of his beer.

Did he miss her? Yes and no, Jon decided. He’d met Val three years before through work. He was a lawyer in the Public Defenders’ Office, and she was a newly-made detective just moved to New York from Manchester, New Hampshire.

Jon had come downtown to meet a man she’d arrested for drug offences, and the day had ended with her asking him out for drinks. After a couple of lousy recent dates Jon had been a bit hesitant, but found that he and Val had enough in common – at least superficially – to arrange date number two.

Fast forward three years, and the two of them had separated and got back together again enough times to give Jon whiplash. She’d been there for him when his mother had died and his father had tracked him down, but had never truly understood how difficult it was for him to forge a relationship with Rhaegar.

Mostly, their relationship was physical.

And Jon hated that. He hated himself for returning to Val over and over again knowing that it would be the same as before – great sex, poor emotional relationship. The only time Jon ever felt truly connected to Val was when one or both of them were either naked or partially clothed.

_I miss you._

Jon looked at her words again, and decided he wouldn’t reply. Instead, he turned on the television and settled down to the second half of LA Medics. Jon always tried to keep up with the show. Aside from enjoying LA Medics for itself, Jon felt a sense of loyalty to it through his friendship with Robb Stark.

Watching Sansa on screen, treating a young boy with concussion, he smiled at the memory of his best friend’s sister admonishing her younger brothers for copying him and Robb by climbing trees and falling out of them.

Jon’s viewing was interrupted by a knock on the door. Surprised, Jon turned the television off and went to answer it. Through the peephole he saw that it was Val and sighed. He should have answered her text with a very firm _No_.

“Hey, Val”, said Jon. He leaned against the doorframe, before figuring it would be easier to have this discussion inside his apartment and not in full view of any neighbours that might be hovering. “Come in.”

“I’m not interrupting anything?” Jon closed the door behind her, and shook his head.

“I was just watching some TV. Would you like a beer?” Val accepted his offer, and sat down while Jon went to get her a drink from the kitchen. “Here.”

“Thanks. You didn’t reply to my message, and I was in the neighbourhood anyway…..” Val shrugged, before taking a sip of her beer.

She removed her jacket, and Jon realized that each and every time she’d initiated the revival of their relationship, and each and every time he’d agreed. They tended to take turns in ending it, but Val was always the one bringing them back together again.

“What are you doing here, Val?” Jon sat down opposite her and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I thought my text was clear. I miss you. I miss having you in my life and in my bed.” Jon snorted. “What? I do. You’re good, Jon Snow. Very, very good. I have never in all my life found a man who pleased me in the sack as much as you do.”

“Uh, thanks?” Jon could feel a blush creep up his neck. He had to admit, he and Val were very compatible in bed. The thing was, that was the only place they were compatible in the long-term sense.

“Gods, you shouldn’t be so embarrassed. You don’t go all red like that when your mouth is between my legs.”

“Val”, Jon whined. He realized this followed a pattern too. But it was time to break the pattern.

“I’ll agree that the sex has always been amazing. But outside of that, when it comes down to the important stuff I’m – well, I’m not sure we have enough in common to have a future together. And I want to build a future with someone.”

“Is this the part where you tell me your biological clock is starting to tick, Snow?” Val teased with a grin. She began to run her fingers up and down the bottle of beer Jon had given her. Knowing what she was simulating, Jon forced himself to focus.

“No. And maybe I’ll never settle down and have children. But I want to, Val. I want a future that has a wife, children, grand-children and a house that everyone comes back to for visits. And a dog. I want a dog. You don’t want any of that, and I respect you for not changing who you are for a man. For me.” Jon moved over to sit next to Val on the sofa.

“Yes, the sex was amazing and we do have stuff in common – that’s why we’ve always ended up getting back together after a few weeks or months apart”, Jon told her.

“But the stuff we have in common is all superficial. We like the same TV shows and listen to the same music. The conversations we have are those shared by common acquaintances, not people who build lives together. I’ll be thirty next year, and what was sufficient in my mid-twenties isn’t enough now. The sex was always great, but it isn’t enough.”

“How very deep.” Her grin told Jon that she wasn’t taking it personally.

“I bought a house today”, he told her. “A brownstone in Brooklyn. I’m going to put in a new kitchen and Aunt Dany is begging me to let her loose with wallpaper samples. Is that what you’re looking for, Val? To build a home with someone? With me?”

“No”, she admitted. “You’re right. We’d get back together and it would be amazing for a few weeks; we’d be at it like rabbits. But when that glow fades, we’d be left discussing the same things we always did and you’d tell me that it’s making you feel empty or I’d get bored.”

“No hard feelings?” If nothing else, Val was someone he’d probably come across professionally in the future and he didn’t want to make things awkward at work just because he had decided enough was enough relationship-wise with Val.

“None. Though if you wanted tonight for old time’s sake……..no strings attached…….”

“I think it would be best if we didn’t”, Jon told her, though he could feel his cock twitch at the thought of it.

“You are a good man, Jon Snow”, Val told him. She stood up, and Jon followed suit. “Whomever you end up with, I hope she makes you as happy as you deserve to be.”

“Thanks. And I hope you find happiness too.” Jon hugged Val, and then showed her out. Jon knew he had done the right thing. Enough was enough, and this would be the first day of the rest of his life.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the lovely response to the opening chapter! :)

Standing at baggage reclaim three months after her momentous decision to delay her contract renewal for LA Medics, Sansa Stark began to feel butterflies build in her stomach at the thought of what lay beyond the Arrivals gate at JFK. 

She’d flown cross-country for auditions a few times since her birthday – only ever staying overnight once, when her trip had coincided with her aunt’s birthday party – and had finally secured the lead role in Forel’s new play. 

It was a three month run with a few weeks of rehearsals and previews beforehand.  It was new and daring and not at all safe, but it was everything Sansa had wanted from the acting profession.

Sansa grabbed her three suitcases, and loaded them onto the trolley she’d bagged for herself.  While many actresses, models and singers either flew on private jets or had PAs deal with the little things in life like transporting suitcases, Sansa had always been determined to keep herself grounded. 

Her family would never have allowed her to live with her head in the clouds, believing herself above everyone else, but Sansa didn’t want them to have to correct her. 

Sansa liked being self-sufficient.  She ignored the pointed looks of recognition a couple of people were giving her, and headed for the doors that led out to the area in which hired drivers, family and friends awaited those disembarking the hundreds of flights landing at JFK each day.

It didn’t take Sansa long to notice them, a group of four waving a sign that said _Welcome Home_.  Sansa rolled her eyes, and grinned widely at the sight of her elder brother and his family. 

Even before she’d had her first audition a week after her birthday – for Ophelia in _Hamlet_ – which had been an unmitigated disaster, Sansa had decided that when she returned to New York, there would be no talk of hotels or rented apartments. 

A huge part of her desire to return to her home city was to spend more time with her family and while she’d been nervous at asking him this favour, Robb had told her that she could stay for as long as she wished.

“Big brother”, Sansa smiled before hugging him tightly. 

“Queen Sansa”, he replied. 

Sansa stood back, and found her legs attacked by her niece Lyarra who – at the age of almost five – looked like Sansa herself in miniature.  Sansa figured it made sense given how alike she and Robb had always looked, but whenever she visited it gave strangers pause to see them together.

“Auntie Sansa!  Auntie Sansa!  Daddy says you’re coming to live with us!”  Lyarra beamed up at her, and Sansa felt her heart and her ovaries skip a beat at the look of pure joy on the face of her niece and god-daughter.

“Yeah, I’m coming to stay for a while.  Is that alright with you?”  Lyarra nodded. 

“You can share my toys if you didn’t bring any”, Lyarra told her.  Sansa smiled down at the young girl before turning her attention to her nephew and sister-in-law. 

She hugged Jeyne, and ruffled Neddy’s curls.  Her nephew was two years old, and one of the most adorable children she had ever come across.

“We should make a move”, Robb suggested.  He took the trolley from her.  “I’m afraid I couldn’t get the car parked that close, so it’ll be a bit of a trek.”

“That’s fine”, Sansa shrugged, just happy to be back with her family again.  She took Lyarra’s hand.  “Did you make my poster?”

“Mummy did the writing”, Lyarra told her.  “But Neddy and me put on the glitter and did drawings.”

“Well, it is lovely”, Sansa assured her.  “We’ll need to hang it up in my room if that’s alright with mummy and daddy.”  Lyarra grinned up at her, and Sansa felt any guilt she had about imposing on Robb fade away as she took in the excited face of her niece. 

“How was your flight?”  Jeyne asked.  She carried Neddy on her hip, and in Sansa’s opinion looked far too composed for a mother of two young children. 

“Busy”, Sansa sighed.  More than once, she’d been approached by people looking for either autographs or the inside scoop on the future of her LA Medics career. 

Brienne had come to an agreement with the network and producers that allowed Sansa to take a year off, and they’d come up with a storyline involving her character possibly going abroad to work for MSF in Africa for a year. 

This had led to fans speculating over whether her character would appear next season – would she carry out her charitable intentions, or would her ex-boyfriend Mern Gardener succeed in his reconciliation attempt and persuade her to remain in LA?

“I can’t tell you how excited everyone is to have you home”, Jeyne told her with a smile.  “Your mother and father have talked about nothing else for weeks.  Even though it is just for a short time, they’re looking forward to babying you.” 

“I’m kind of looking forward to it as well”, Sansa admitted. 

It was normally when she went home that she realized the gaping hole that existed in her life when she was apart from her family.  But she’d always believed that a successful acting career involved living in LA, and the show that had given her both fame and success was based there. 

Sansa spent the ride back into the city wedged between Lyarra and Neddy, listening to her niece and nephew babble on about rubbish and occasionally answering questions from Robb and Jeyne.  She had a feeling that being around her brother and his family would make the decisions she knew were coming a lot harder. 

Robb lived in a beautiful apartment building in downtown Manhattan, complete with underground parking.  Sansa knew her parents had helped with the down-payment on it, when Robb had returned to New York after graduating from Harvard Law with Jeyne and Lyarra – then only a few months old – in tow. 

Her brother was a successful litigator, and Sansa knew he’d been encouraged more than once to consider running for Congress by various college friends. 

“Would you like to show Auntie Sansa her room?”  Jeyne asked Lyarra when they entered the apartment.  Lyarra nodded wildly, and held out her hand to Sansa. 

She followed her niece into the spare bedroom, which had clearly been redecorated recently.  Sansa smiled and then hugged Lyarra tightly.  She could tell that she was going to love staying here. 

That evening, it took Sansa herself reading Lyarra a bedtime story for her niece to go to bed – along with promises that they would do lots of fun and exciting things together while Sansa was in New York. 

Sansa realized with a pang that she had missed so much of Lyarra’s upbringing already, and that she had never actually been home for any of her niece and god-daughter’s birthdays. 

“Is that her down now?”  Robb asked when Sansa came back into the living area.  He handed her a glass of red wine, and curled up on the sofa next to Jeyne. 

“Yep”, Sansa nodded, yawning a little.  “She’s grown so much since I was here last – they both have.  And they are both the cutest little children I’ve ever laid eyes upon.”  Robb snorted.

“You won’t think that when they start fighting over toys, or wake you up in the middle of the night because they decided your bed will be more comfortable than their own”, Robb sighed.  He looked at Jeyne, who nodded. 

“Uhm, there’s something you should know.  If you’re going to be living here.”

“Oh?”  Sansa’s interest was piqued. 

“I’m pregnant again”, Jeyne told her. 

“But it’s only been a few weeks and we haven’t told anyone yet.  I had a miscarriage a few months ago, and it has made us wary of telling anyone too soon.  I wanted you to know because you’ll be living with us, but we’d both appreciate it if you didn’t say anything to anyone until I’m at least three months gone.”

“My lips are sealed”, Sansa promised, feeling excited at the thought of a new niece or nephew to spoil as much as she intended to spoil Lyarra and Neddy while she was here.  “This is so exciting!”

“Yeah, it is”, Robb agreed.  Sansa felt a pang of jealousy as Jeyne snuggled in closer to Robb, and her brother looked at his wife as if she were the only other person in the world. 

If she was honest, Sansa wanted that for herself.  She wanted someone to look at her like Robb looked at Jeyne, and like her father looked at her mother.  And that brought forth other thoughts she knew she’d be forced to confront in New York – what to do about Loras. 

It had seemed so easy at first, to agree to be his fake girlfriend as a favour to Margaery.  But how to tell Margaery and Loras that she might be ready to date again?

“Can I ask you something?”  Robb said.

“You already did”, Sansa quipped in response. 

“Why?  Why now?  Did something happen?”

“My birthday”, Sansa sighed. 

“I just sort of realized that my life was a lie.  To the world, I live the life promised in songs.  But it isn’t really that way.  And I let myself fall into safety and stability because it’s what I want, but it isn’t.  That doesn’t even make sense.  Really what it comes down to it that I need new challenges professionally, and I need to address my personal life.”

“You want to end your agreement with Loras?”  Robb asked. 

Her family knew the truth of her relationship with Loras.  It was one of the stipulations she had made when Margaery had first broached the idea with her. 

“Maybe”, Sansa shrugged, feeling more than ever that she did. 

“I often think I might be ready to date again, but at the same time I still freak out at the thought of it.  We’re not all as lucky as you, finding the person we want to be with forever at the age of nineteen.”

“Well, I hope your new job and staying with us helps you figure everything out”, Jeyne told her with a smile.  “I will warn you, though, that Lyarra has been making lots of plans for what the two of you are going to do while you’re here.”

“Good”, Sansa nodded.  “I want to know her better.  I want to know them both better.  I haven’t been as present an aunt as I always intended to be, but I want that to change.  I am looking forward to being here as much as Lyarra is looking forward to having me.”

“I’m sure you’ll fit in fine when you get used to our routine”, Robb told her.  “Warning – Neddy will wake you up at least twice a week by jumping on your bed, and Lyarra will demand that you watch Care Bears with her on Netflix.”

“And you?  What demands do you two have of me?”  Sansa teased.

“The odd bit of babysitting would be great”, Robb grinned.  “Our anniversary is coming up and it’s before you start previews……”

“And you would like me to watch the children for the night while you go out for dinner and spend the night in a five-star hotel?”  Sansa supplied. 

“Something like that”, Jeyne sighed gratefully.

“There will be grown-up stuff too”, Robb assured her.  “You’ll get to see Bran, Arya and Rickon – and Jon comes over every Friday night for chilli.”

“Jon Snow?”  Robb nodded.  “That name is a blast from the past.  I don’t think I’ve seen him since your wedding, when he almost tore my feet to shreds dancing.”

“Jon doesn’t tend to dance when he comes over for chilli”, Robb laughed.  “He’s still with the PD’s Office, you know.  I keep trying to get him to move into private practice, but he isn’t interested.”

**********

Jon stopped off at Starbucks on his way to the office from the precinct at the corner of 16th Street.  He got a black coffee to go, and told himself that his caffeine addiction really needed to be kicked sometime soon.  Just not today.  Definitely not today.

He had a packed day scheduled and a blind date that evening. 

Jon’s working day had started with a trip to the 16th Street precinct to meet with an ex-cop who couldn’t afford outside counsel. 

Janos Slynt had left the force fifteen years before after a disagreement he refused to discuss in detail, and had now been accused of various traffic offences he claimed were the result of systematic targeting by his former brother officers. 

Jon had to work hard to persuade him that this wasn’t an argument Judge Glover would be responsive to.  After a quick hearing in which a trial date was set for the near future, Jon had given Slynt his contact details at the PD’s Office and urged him to make an appointment for later on in the week. 

Jon took the subway back to his office and used it as an opportunity to scroll through his e-mails and figure out his work schedule for the rest of the day.  He groaned when he saw his secretary had made a last-minute adjustment – Thorne wanted a meeting at the end of the day for updates on a couple of Jon’s current cases. 

Alliser Thorne was Jon’s immediate superior and part of the reason Jon had never been able to make any of his previous attempts to give up caffeine stick.  Jon regularly thanked every deity going that he’d quit smoking between NYU and Harvard Law. 

He’d never have been able to cope with trying to give up nicotine while working under Thorne.

Jon was stopped between the elevator and his office by Sam, who wanted to remind him about that evening.

“The Quill and Tankard at eight thirty”, Sam told him with a nod.  “And even if she’s awful, please for the love of all the gods be kind to her – she’s a really good friend of my sister.”

“Noted.”  Even if she wasn’t his dream girl, he hoped that Alysanne Bulwer was a lot short of awful.  It was alright for Sam, who had met his wife Gilly at college during one of her shifts in the library, and was now both a husband and father. 

Robb was in a pretty similar position.  He had married Jeyne while at Harvard Law, around five months before Lyarra had been born.  Neither of them understood the complications of modern dating.

Neither of them understood that Jon had been on more bad dates than the two of them put together. 

“I’m sure it’ll be fine”, Jon assured Sam.  Telling Val he didn’t want them to get back together had been step one in moving on.  Step two had been asking casually around his friends if they knew anyone they could set him up with.  Step three had been actually committing to a date.

Alysanne Bulwer was not the first (that was Jonelle Cerwyn, a colleague of Robb’s) but the romantic in Jon hoped that at some point he would meet a woman who would become his last first date. 

“Do you have those notes on the Tallhart case?” Jon asked Sam.  They were working together on a long-term project to try and commute the sentence of a man convicted of drug smuggling on tenuous evidence.

“I’ve been editing the file this morning”, Sam replied.  “I’m almost done – give me half an hour or so and I’ll e-mail it over to you.”

Jon made sure he arrived early for his blind date.  After his meeting with Thorne – Jon pondered if the cantankerous old man had known he had somewhere to be that evening – he’d just had enough time to get the subway home, shower and change before heading back out again. 

Thankfully, his move to Brooklyn was not yet complete.  Jon had come to an agreement with Grenn, Pyp and Edd that he would move out only after his new bathroom and kitchen had been installed – he didn’t want to live on a building site, and he’d always viewed hot water as a necessity rather than a luxury.  This meant that he didn’t have far to travel to The Quill and Tankard. 

Jon found the bar’s name a little pretentious, but he ordered a JD and coke and took a seat in one of the free booths.  It wasn’t that busy, but Jon had never been here before so he wasn’t sure if that was a reflection of the quality of the bar or the fact that it was a Tuesday. 

Not wanting to look around too much as if waiting for someone – he’d done that once and been mortified as he realized most of the bar could figure he’d been stood up – Jon flicked through his unread texts and e-mails, opening up one from his aunt, Daenerys.

Dany had sent him an e-mail with pictures of various wallpaper samples and some sort of colour chart.  When he’d first told her about the Brooklyn house, she’d promptly told him that he was right to invest his inheritance in property and offered her services free-of-charge to help him decorate. 

His aunt ran her own interior design business and would have been miles beyond his price range.  Normally, she advised multi-millionaires, celebrities and high-ranking politicians, not lowly public servants. 

Jon perused the wallpaper samples and decided he liked precisely none of them. 

The colour chart wasn’t so bad, though.  He took in the grey-ish colour that wasn’t quite silver, and the duck egg blue with interest, and sent her a reply. 

Two minutes later, his mobile rang.  “Hi, Dany.”

“I got your e-mail.  What was wrong with the samples?  They’re Hightowers!  Yeah, I can get you enough samples so the paper won’t cost you anything, but these normally retail at several thousand a roll.”

“They aren’t me”, Jon replied, stifling a grin.  Daenerys was used to clients who wanted named brand items and refused anything less.

“And just because they’re Hightowers doesn’t automatically mean I’ll like them.  I’m sure we’ll figure something out.  I may not even have wallpaper.  I may just paint the walls.”

“You are impossible”, she sighed.  “And how are you?  You haven’t got back together with Val, have you?”

“No.  Actually, Sam set me up on a date.  A friend of his sister – I’m waiting for her just now.”  Dany hadn’t approved of Val on any of the occasions on which they’d met. 

“I had time to kill, so I started going through my e-mails.  Why don’t you come down to the house on Saturday and we’ll go through some things?  You can help me pick furniture, if you like.  Or, more likely, you can turn your nose up at the furniture I pick.”

“That sounds more accurate”, Dany laughed.  “Let me know how your date goes.  If it doesn’t work out, there is a UN translator I know.  She’s an old client of mine and she speaks nineteen languages.”

“I speak one.  So I think that makes her too smart to be interested in me.  I better go.  Let me know if you can come down at the weekend.”

“Will do.  Good luck.  Bye.”

“Bye.”  Jon hung up, and chanced a glance around the room.  Most of those here seemed to be young professionals relaxing after a long day at work.  As much as he wanted this date, part of Jon just wanted to be at home on his sofa channel-surfing or watching some sports. 

“Jon Snow?”  A young woman with curly light-brown hair approached him.  Jon nodded.

“Alysanne Bulwer?”

“That’s me”, she laughed, before sitting down opposite Jon.  “Wow, the picture Talla’s brother showed me _really_ didn’t do you justice.”

“Uh, thanks?  I think?”  Jon stood up as he inwardly cringed.  “What would you like to drink?”

“Oooh, white wine spritzer, please”, Alysanne smiled. 

Jon went up to the bar and ordered their drinks.  He tried never to judge women by their looks, and it irritated him a little when they judged him on his.  Jon made his way back to the booth a moment later with two drinks in hand and an open mind.

“So, Sam said you and Talla were at college together?”  Jon tried to remember what Sam had told him about his sister’s friend. 

“Yeah, at Princeton.  Talla was my first roommate.  She was studying literature – oh, you probably know that anyway if you’re good friends with her brother – and I studied business.  Not sure why now, but I guess it was as good a degree as any.  None of my friends from high school went to Princeton, so Talla sort of looked after me a little.”

“It worked out for you, then?  Given you’re both still friends, I mean.”

“Yeah.  Of course, Talls is a lot luckier hours-wise than I am.  She gets so many holidays working in teaching, whereas I work up to twelve hours a day for a broker in Wall Street.”  Jon felt a little taken aback.  

Sam had complained more than once of the amount of work his sister took home from her job as an English teacher in a high school that served one of the poorer neighbourhoods in New York.

“But my job pays the rent on an apartment I love.  I think Sam said you’re a lawyer?”

“I am”, Jon confirmed with a nod.  “I work with Sam in the PD’s Office.  I’ve been there since graduation.”

“Urgh.  I couldn’t imagine staying at the same place for years on end”, Alysanne told him.  “A year or so and then move on and move up – that is my motto.  Wouldn’t you and Sam be better off in private practice?  You’d make a lot more money.”

“So my friends keep telling me”, Jon replied, thinking of Robb’s sporadic half-hearted attempts to lure him over to his own firm.  “But I love what I do – and why should money buy someone a decent defence?” 

“Money can buy just about anything, I guess”, Alysanne smiled.  She sipped away at her spritzer, and Jon felt himself mentally check out. 

They stayed at the bar for another hour or so, making as much small talk as Jon could muster.  After seeing Alysanne off in an Uber, her promise to get in touch over the next couple of days ringing in his ears, Jon knew well enough that there wouldn’t be a second date.  Alysanne had been nice enough – and Jon had been polite as promised – but he couldn’t see himself dating her.

When he got home he saw that there was a text from Sam on his phone, asking how his date had gone and what his impression of Alysanne had been. 

_Pretty but comes across as a little shallow_ , had been Jon’s honest response.

Perhaps he was getting fussier as he got older.  In any case, he hoped it wouldn’t be awkward for Sam that nothing would come of his blind date.  He knew how close Sam and Talla were. 

Whatever happened, Jon doubted he’d succumb to Grenn’s repeated attempts to get him to sign up for Tinder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They'll meet up again next chapter! Pinky promise!!


	3. Chapter 3

Jon winced as he paid for the bottle of red wine at a grocery store close to Robb’s apartment building.  The clock behind the counter read seven fifteen, which meant he was running later than he’d thought. 

Around once every five or six weeks he found himself held up at work, and although Jon knew Robb would understand he wished his friend didn’t have to. 

Thorne – yet again – had held Jon up at the end of the day as he over-scrutinized each and every decision Jon had taken on particular cases.  Jon was still convinced that Thorne did it deliberately.  He didn’t seem to treat the likes of Marsh and Yarwyck this way, though Jon had to admit they had years more experience in the job than he did.

Luckily the elevator in Robb’s building was empty, so he got straight up to the third floor.  Knocking on the door, he could hear the noise Lyarra and Neddy were making on the other side. 

Sometimes he found it hard to believe that Robb – who’d once been told off by the childminder, Osha, for picking his nose and flicking the contents at his sister – was now the responsible father of two children. 

“Good to see you man”, Robb grinned when he opened the door.  “Come in.”

“Uncle Jon!”  Lyarra yelled at him as she came hurtling towards him, closely followed by her younger brother.

“Princess Lyarra”, he replied with a bow while Robb closed the door and took his wine.  “Prince Neddy.”

“Uncle Jon, can you come and help show Auntie Sansa the dragons and princesses game?”  Lyarra looked up him with pleading blue eyes.

“Let Uncle Jon get properly in the door first, sweetie”, Jeyne told her daughter.  “Hi, Jon.  I’m afraid we’re a little more hyperactive than usual this week.” 

Jon gave her a quick hug, assured her it was no problem, and then allowed Lyarra to take his hand and lead him over to the sofa. 

“We need to show Auntie Sansa the dragons and princesses game”, Lyarra told him again.  “So she can play with us.  You can be the dragon monster and Neddy can rescue me and Auntie Sansa.  I can still be the princess, but Auntie Sansa is all growed up so she is going to be the queen.”

“You up to that, Neddy?”  Jon asked him with a grin.  He nodded fiercely in response.

“I was running late at the office again”, Jon told Robb when his friend joined them on the sofa.  “Thorne is really starting to get on my nerves.”

“You could always move…….”

“Why should I give up a job I love just because one person I work with is a complete and utter d- uhm, dumpling.  Sorry.”  Jon winced; he knew Jeyne had a thing about swearing in front of the children.  “Never mind.”

“It’s fine”. Robb shrugged.  “I had to put a dollar in the jar earlier.”

“Jon?”  Jon looked up to see a beaming Sansa coming into the living area.  She was just as he had remembered her and yet totally different at the same time.  Jon could see that TV didn’t do justice to her natural smile.

“It’s been a long time.  It’s good to see you”, he replied.  He stood up to go and shake her hand, but found himself pulled into a tight hug.

“It has been a long time”, Sansa said.  “Far too long.  But then, it doesn’t seem that long ago you and Robb were riding bikes in Central Park.”

“Uncle Jon is going to help teach you the game, Auntie Sansa”, Lyarra interrupted.  “He’s the big monster dragon and he’s going to kidnap us!!  And then Neddy will come save us.”

“Naughty Uncle Jon”, grinned Sansa.  Jon watched as she bent down so Lyarra could whisper something in her ear.  “Okay, that sounds good.”

Lyarra arranged them all so that she and Sansa were standing behind the sofa, with Jon in front, and sent her brother off to fetch his sword.  When he returned, Jon dutifully followed their normal routine and knelt down on the floor making roaring sounds that Lyarra squealed at. 

Jon rolled his eyes, and soon Neddy was charging at him with the plastic sword Jeyne had bought at a toy store.

“I am Balerion the Black Dread”, Jon growled.  “You shall not pass!”

“Yes!  Yes!  Pass!” Neddy replied, hitting Jon’s side with the sword.  Jon grinned as Neddy thwacked him over and over again.  If Neddy ever hurt him, the poor child never knew it because Jon simply grunted in character.

“Save me, Prince Neddy!”  Lyarra shouted at her brother.  “Save me and the queen!”

“We’re going to have to stop things here, I’m afraid.  It’s time for bed.”  Jeyne came over to interrupt their game. 

“No, mummy!  Neddy has to save me and Auntie Sansa first”, Lyarra pouted. 

“Sorry, kiddo.  Perhaps King Robb could help save Queen Sansa and Princess Lyarra?”  Jon snorted at the sight of Robb charging over to join in the game.  Clearly their dinner was nearly ready.  

Robb helped Neddy hit Jon’s arms hard before tackling him to the ground.

“Save the queen and the princess while I hold onto the monster, Prince Neddy”, Robb called.

“I save!  I save!” Neddy shouted.  Jon pushed Robb off him and looked up to see Ned and Lyarra jumping up and down in celebration while Sansa giggled.  Jon felt a flush creep up his neck and stood. 

“Yeah, you saved them Neddy”, he told his godson.  “Time for bed – I’ll see you soon, though.”

“Goodnight Uncle Jon”, Lyarra told him.  Now that the game was over, she allowed her mother to take her by the hand and lead her to bed. 

“Night, munchkins.”  Jon straightened himself up and went to sit back down on the sofa.  Sansa joined him, while Robb headed off to the kitchen.

“Still Balerion the Black Dread, then?”  Sansa grinned.  “When Lyarra told me about your game, I didn’t have the heart to tell her that you and Robb used to play it with Arya and I when we were younger.”

“Only Arya never wanted to be the rescued princess”, Jon remembered.  “So Robb and I both had to be monsters while she rescued you.”

“Yeah”, Sansa sighed.  “Perhaps I would have done better to do as Arya did and practiced fighting the monsters.  Though if you tell her that, I’ll flat out deny it.” 

“Dinner”, Robb called a few minutes later.

Jon went over to sit at the table, taking his usual seat.  He’d been coming over to Robb’s for Friday night chilli for as long as Robb had lived in the apartment.  Usually it was just the three of them, but he found Sansa’s added presence a good sort of different.

Jon poured himself a glass of wine, and broke off a piece of garlic bread.  “So, Robb says you’re home for a few months?”

“Yeah, I have a role in Forel’s new play”, Sansa replied.  “It’ll be good for me to do something different.  In my line of work it can be a bit risky to stick for too long with the same thing.  Variety is essential otherwise you just get typecast.”

“I often have an allergy to change”, Jon admitted, thinking of Robb’s attempts to get him to leave the PD’s Office and the days he’d spent agonising over whether or not he should buy his new house.  “Although I’m getting better at it.  I think.

“How was your date the other night?” Jeyne asked.  Jon frowned.  “Uh oh, that doesn’t look good.”

“It was – she was nice enough”, Jon told her lamely.  “I just – the first thing she said to me was that I looked better than the picture Sam had shown her, and it went even further downhill from there.  She just seemed so obsessed with money and appearances.  She was pretty, but there was no depth to her.  I don’t see a future in it.”

“Let me get this right?” Robb choked out a laugh.  “You are going to turn down a second date with an attractive woman because she called you attractive?  Am I missing something here?”

“I have to agree with Jon”, Sansa put in.  “I’ve had men date me just because they thought I was pretty, or because I’m – gods I hate to use this word – _famous_.  Are you honestly telling me that you married Jeyne simply because she was pretty?”

“Well, no.  Jeyne’s about much more than that”, Robb admitted.  “Jeez.  Usually it’s just Arya that you gang up on me with.  Now it’s Sansa too?  How did that happen?”

“You ever think that maybe the rest of us are just smarter than you, big brother?”  Sansa smirked.  Jon felt a grin grow across his face as Robb and Sansa made faces at each other, acting as if they were no older than Lyarra. 

It felt a lot like old times, and yet completely different – just like when he’d first seen Sansa.  There was a real sense of familiarity, but also of time having moved on. 

“Now I know where Lyarra and Neddy get it from”, Jeyne muttered to Jon.  He snorted.  Having been around the Starks since he was five years old, he was used to this. 

“Chilli’s amazing as always”, he told her.  “You’ll all have to come over for dinner when I get my new house decorated.  Dany’s coming over tomorrow to help or hinder.” 

As much as he joked about it, Jon valued his aunt’s support and input.  They’d only known each other a few years, but Jon sometimes felt as if they’d been in each other’s lives forever. 

He supposed part of it was the fact that he and Daenerys were pretty much the same age.

“Maybe you’ll meet someone in your new neighbourhood”, Jeyne suggested. 

“I guess”, Jon shrugged.  “Maybe I should just forget about that now and focus on the house.” 

Neither of the blind dates he’d had seemed to be heading anywhere – perhaps he was trying to force himself into a new relationship as a way of proving to himself that he was moving on from Val?  He knew it was over between the two of them, but he wasn’t about to date someone else just for the sake of it.

After dinner, Robb shouted down Sansa’s insistence that she should help with the dishes (help Jon knew from experience not to offer) and sent his sister off to the sofa with Jon and a bottle of wine. 

“My brother is infuriatingly insistent”, she told Jon as she sat down.

“Yeah, but you love him for it.”

“Kinda”, Sansa shrugged with a smile. 

Jon found himself feeling as if he was seeing Sansa for the first time.  Had she always been so open and bright with him and he’d just been too busy to notice?  He didn’t recall the Sansa he’d known in childhood and youth speaking so much to him in one sitting.  Arya had always been the sister that sought him out.

“Your parents must be excited to have you back, even if it’s just for a little while”, said Jon.  He picked up the wine bottle from where Sansa had put it on the coffee table and poured them a glass each, handing one to Sansa.

“Thanks.  Yeah, I think mum was a bit upset that I’m staying here rather than with them.  It made more sense with Robb living closer to the theatre.  Also, before now I’ve only been able to see Lyarra and Neddy two or three times a year.  I’m really looking forward to being here for Lyarra’s birthday.”

“You’ve clearly never been to a child’s party since you were one yourself”, Jon snorted.

“What?  I saw Robb’s Facebook pictures of her last party – it was adorable, with the princess theme and everything.”

“In pictures it looked nice, I grant you that”, Jon agreed.  “But pictures don’t always accurately get across the downside of sugar-highs in small children……the temper tantrums because someone lost a game, the tears caused because someone spilled juice on their dress or tripped over something.”  And that had been the least of it. 

“See, this is part of why I wanted to come home”, Sansa told him.  Jon didn’t know her well enough to say for sure, not now, but he thought he heard a catch in her voice. 

“Because you missed talking to someone as boring as me on a Friday night?” he teased, hoping it would make her smile again.  It worked, and she gave him a light shove to boot. 

“I miss my family.  I think you’ve seen more of the big moments in their lives over the last few years than I have, and I’m afraid that makes me just a teensy bit jealous”, Sansa admitted.  Jon shrugged and reminded her that she had a great family.

“A great family that I was always sort of jealous of”, Jon added, voicing something he’d always felt but never spoken aloud. 

“I was an only child of a single mom; the five of you had each other and your parents and uncles and aunts.  Until just after my mom died, I thought she was literally the only family I had.  She was certainly the only family I knew.  So, you’re lucky.  And in ten years, neither Lyarra nor Neddy will remember those parties.  But they will remember all the amazing stuff you’ll do with them in the future.”

“Wow”, breathed Sansa.  “That might just be the most I’ve ever heard you say in one go.”

“If Jon’s getting chatty, you must’ve let him drink too much wine” Robb joked as he sat down on the sofa opposite with Jeyne. 

“Tosser”, Jon muttered, throwing a cushion in Robb’s direction. 

**********

A delighted Sansa set out for Central Park with Lyarra, Neddy, Jeyne and a picnic basket while Robb waded through some paperwork.  She made sure to wear her hair up under a baseball cap and hid her eyes behind a pair of stylish sunglasses. 

Her time with her family was both precious and separate from her career, so when she was out with her niece and nephew Sansa tried to minimize the probability of her being recognized by fans of her show. 

“Looking forward to starting work on Monday?”  Jeyne asked her as they laid out the blanket. 

“Definitely”, Sansa nodded.  “I’ve needed something completely different for a while now, and this is very much it.  I don’t know if it’ll critique well, but it’s something I feel I have to do.  When I had coffee with Varys the other day, he seemed pretty excited about my take on Alayne.”

Sansa had spent a lot of time both before and after travelling to New York studying the script and doing research into the sort of experiences her character, Alayne, would’ve had and their impact upon her.  She’d shared a very long conversation with Varys about Stockholm Syndrome generally, and the specifics in books and articles she’d read on the subject. 

One constant through Sansa’s career was her determination to understand the character she was playing – however minor they were to the story – and to research their perspective as much as possible.  She wasn’t one of those models who moved into acting thinking she could simply turn up, look pretty and cash a pay check.

“Does Robb often need to work on Saturdays?”  Sansa asked.  She smiled at Lyarra and Neddy, who were playing with toys they’d brought with them. 

“Sometimes”, Jeyne conceded.  “He’s in a tough industry, and he needs to prove himself.  There is a junior partnership up for grabs in the next year or so.  If Robb stays with the firm he’s at, he wants to get it.”

“If he stays?”  That perked up Sansa’s ears.  For all that her brother had told her about trying to get Jon Snow to leave his current job, she was unaware of her brother entertaining the same thoughts in his own career.

“Ultimately he’d like to start up his own practice.  He never spoke to you about it?”  Sansa shook her head sadly, remembering when they were small and she and Robb would tell each other pretty much everything. 

“He talks about it a lot though I don’t know if anything will ever come of it.  Just like I talk about going back to work someday.” 

Jeyne was a qualified teacher, but hadn’t worked in a school since just before Lyarra’s birth.  Sansa guessed that with her unannounced pregnancy to consider, Jeyne likely wouldn’t return for at least another five years. 

“Mummy, juice?”  Neddy asked.  Sansa smiled as Jeyne took a carton of juice out of their basket. 

“What’s the magic word, Neddy?”

“Please, mummy.”  Jeyne handed Neddy the carton and warned him to be careful, before turning her attention back to Sansa.  “Are you settling in alright?  Sorry again for this morning.”

“It’s fine – and Robb _did_ warn me”, Sansa laughed.   She’d been woken at six thirty by a hyperactive Neddy jumping up and down on her bed. 

In the end, she’d come to a compromise with her nephew and let him under the covers to watch cartoons while she tried to go back to sleep.  She hadn’t been successful as Lyarra had joined Neddy soon after.

“I think I am settling in, yes”, Sansa responded to Jeyne’s other question.  “I guess the fact that you guys have a routine has helped.  It’s very different to my life out in LA, but that’s a good thing.  The need for change was a huge part of why I came home.”

“As much as Jon Snow claims to be allergic to it, I think a change is as good as a rest and it benefits us all to have a little of it.”  Sansa nodded, fiddling with a loose thread on the edge of the blanket. 

Truth be told, she hadn’t quite known what to make of Jon Snow, for all that she’d known him most of her life.  For some reason the second she’d walked out of her bedroom the night before and seen him, all she could think of was his connection to the past and the happiness she’d felt there. 

She and Jon had never been overly close; he’d played with and later hung out with her on a casual basis mostly because that’s what Robb was doing, but she could not recall them ever having a serious conversation or spending time alone together. 

They’d never shared confidences as he had with Arya, or done movie nights together as he had with Bran or Rickon.  But as she looked back at her childhood and adolescence, she realized that Jon Snow had been ever-present in it.  Albeit as wallpaper that faded into the background. 

And then, to see the grown man in front of her – Sansa wondered just how she could have overlooked him in the past.  Jon Snow had been a good friend to Robb in particular, and to her family in general, and it was time for her to acknowledge that and to return the friendship he so openly offered those named Stark. 

Sansa knew she’d have ample opportunity to get to know him better during her visit.  Jon was handsome, successful, generous, kind and very much not shallow.  Ten years before, she’d have described him as boring.  Now, she wanted more people like that in her life. 

“We were never close growing up, and when we were talking last night I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why”, Sansa said slowly.  “Lyarra and Neddy seem to love him.”

“Lyarra was born around the time Robb graduated.  All of our friends were settling into careers and spending Friday and Saturday nights in bars while Robb and I grappled with balancing night feeds and the long hours he needed to prove himself in his first job”, Jeyne explained.

“So many of those friends faded away then.  They weren’t interested in keeping the noise down while the Superbowl was on because the baby was sleeping, and they got tired of Robb turning down offers of nights out and drinks after work because Lyarra had colic.  Jon stuck with us.  He came over for dinner a couple of Fridays in a row and loved the chilli I made and somehow it became something he did every week; he knew we couldn’t go out so he brought over beer and Chinese food; he introduced me to the wife of one of his co-workers because he knew we were both young mothers in a city we were strangers to.”

“Wow.”  Sansa grinned.  “You sell him well.”

Jeyne shrugged.  She turned to check on Lyarra, and handed her a carton of the same juice she’d given Neddy.  “Think about your friendships – how many people do you truly trust?  The list has to be small, right?  That is what Jon is to us.  A keeper.”

Sansa realized instantly that Jeyne had a point.  Other than Brienne, Margaery and Loras, she couldn’t think of a single person in LA she truly trusted.  It saddened her, in a way, to think of it like that.  But then, hadn’t she been warned before?  That Hollywood was toxic and everyone who lived there was out for themselves? 

Sansa had eventually come to the conclusion that she’d been protected too much by the loving closeness of the Stark clan, and maybe there was some truth in that. 

“Yeah, you’re right.  It is a gloomy thought, but you are right.”  Sansa tried to move her thoughts to a more positive ground, and asked Neddy and Lyarra if they’d like a go on the nearby swing set. 

Pushing her niece and nephew as high as she thought safe – though not as high as they wanted – Sansa promised herself that she would try and get to know her brother’s best friend a little better. 

They returned to the apartment a few hours later having picked up takeout for dinner at the Italian deli on the corner.  Still in the early stages of her pregnancy, Jeyne tired easily, and with Robb having worked for most of the day Sansa felt neither should have to cook a meal. 

In the queue she’d sighed inwardly at the insistence they’d both made that she was a guest and cooking was not required of her, and paid for enough to feed the five of them and then some.

“We’re back”, Sansa smiled at Robb.  Her brother had clearly been napping on the couch until their arrival, as much as he tried to hide it by straightening out his clothes and hair. 

Sansa laid the picnic basket down and then began to sort out the dinner she’d bought while Jeyne took Lyarra and Neddy off to wash their hands.

“Mum called”, Robb yawned as he laid out plates and cutlery.  “She wanted to remind me that we’re to bring you to Sunday lunch tomorrow on pain of……..something.”

“You work too hard”, Sansa told him.  “And I know where we’re going for lunch tomorrow.”

“Thankfully mum makes lunch later on a Sunday.  It’ll take a while to get hungry again after this feast you’ve brought with you.”  Robb grinned.  “And as for the other thing, there’s a lot on at the moment.  We have a big case and I need to pull my weight and then some.”

“Just – take care of yourself, big brother?” Sansa pleaded.  She walked round to the other side of the table and pulled Robb into a tight hug. 

“You may be my big brother but that doesn’t mean I don’t worry about you just as much as you worry about me.  I don’t want you making yourself ill over work.  It isn’t worth it.”

“Agreed.  On one condition.”  Sansa furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

“You take your own advice”, Robb told her. 

“I don’t think you’re happy at the moment.  Just – take the few months you’re here with us to think things over and figure out what you want to do about Loras.  If you want to go back to LA and pick up where you left off then fine.  But we’ll love you just as much if you stage a quiet and dignified break-up.”

“Deal.”  Sansa stuck her hand out and let Robb think he’d planted the idea of using this trip to figure out what she wanted.  And Loras was only a small part of it. 

She was as confused professionally as she was in her personal life, though she didn’t mention that to Robb.  He had a stressful career, a pregnant wife and two small children, and didn’t need her angst on top of that. 

Brienne had bought her a few months with the studio, perhaps even seven or eight, though they would need to begin planning the season after next early in the new year.  In that time, Sansa had to understand what she wanted next – would going back mean going forwards? 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To those of you not enjoying your Monday, Jon Snow feels your pain.

Sansa woke on Monday morning with a sense of excitement and anticipation that Robb informed her over breakfast was not healthy for such an early hour on the first day of the week. 

She was excited for her first day of rehearsals and to meet her fellow cast members.  Varys had given her the names of the main actors she would share scenes with, but Sansa had not known any of them.

After breakfast, a shower and a stop at Starbucks, Sansa made it to the back door of Eyrie Theatre a little before nine.  A young woman, who introduced herself as Lyn Corbray, let Sansa in and ushered her through to the stage where Varys was waiting for her along with some of the cast. 

Fighting a sudden onset of shyness, Sansa moved forward and made her presence known. 

“Morning”, she smiled at Varys, going over to stand next to him.  As she asked how he was feeling (he’d complained of a small head cold during their coffee meeting), Sansa became very much aware of the piercing stare of one of her co-stars.  Once Varys had assured her that he was well, the staring man spoke to Sansa. 

“Miss Stark, a pleasure to meet you.  My name is Petyr Baelish.  I am to play Lord Mockingbird.”  Sansa kept her smile in place, but felt her heart sink.  This was the man who was to play opposite her in most of her scenes as the virtual kidnapper of her character, Alayne Stone. 

“A pleasure, Mr. Baelish.”  Sansa held out her hand to shake his. 

“Charmed.”  _Yuck_ , Sansa thought as he took her hand.  He reminded her somewhat of Harry in a sleazy way, and she thanked all the gods that her arrangement with Loras should protect her from too many unwanted advances.  _Should_ being the operative word.

“Let’s all gather round now”, Varys simpered when everyone had arrived. 

“Welcome one and all to the first day of rehearsals for _Alayne_.  I hope we all come to be a happy family as we go along.  The work will be hard, but I am sure the end result will make it all worthwhile.”

They spent the morning simply reading through the play.  As the titular character, Sansa was in the most scenes and had the most lines. 

She had fallen in love with the part of Alayne the first time she’d read Forel’s play, but going though it with the other actors made it even more real to her and this read-through marked the first time she had been able to interact with the other actors in the play and work off their interpretations of their characters.  

By the time they had run through the play once and had a short discussion about the characters and their relationships, it was a little after midday and Varys called a break for lunch.  He suggested they reconvene in a couple of hours to pick out some of the key scenes in the play, and upon dismissal Sansa pulled her phone from her purse. 

She’d vaguely arranged to meet Bran for lunch today, but had apologetically advised her younger brother that she didn’t actually know _when_.

“I’m at Gage’s a block away”, Bran told her over the phone.  “I have work to do and figured I could get some of it done while I waited for you.  See you soon.” 

Sansa put her phone away and marvelled at her brother’s ability to work anywhere and everywhere. 

Of all the Starks, Bran was the most intellectually gifted, and Sansa was sure he could do pretty much anything he wanted wherever he wanted.  At present he was at Columbia studying for his Masters in Philosophy and was due to graduate the following year, though the family were aware of his plans to follow it up with a doctorate. 

“Would you care to join me for lunch, Miss Stark?”  Sansa turned to see Petyr Baelish hovering. 

“I have plans to meet my brother”, she apologised.  “Another time, perhaps.”

“Another time”, Baelish echoed. 

Sansa sighed as she walked away.  She’d need to find pictures of Loras she could pin up in her dressing room, and she’d need to make real or fake plans for lunch every day.  Or at least until Baelish understood that she had no interest in him beyond the common politeness of colleagues working together for a limited period. 

She left the theatre and revelled in the hustle and bustle of New York.  In LA – well, California generally – everyone was always so laid back.  Sansa realized how much she had missed the busyness of her home city. 

There was always somewhere to go, someone to meet, something to do. 

Sansa found Gage’s pretty easily, and saw her brother in the corner.  She waved over at him, and smiled at the waiter as she passed. 

“Afternoon, brainiac”, Sansa muttered happily as she sat down in the booth opposite her brother.  She noted, but did not mention, his wheelchair sitting next to where he sat. 

“Afternoon, actress”, he replied.  Bran set aside the book and notepad that had been in front of him, and handed Sansa a menu. 

“What were you reading?” Sansa asked as she perused the menu.  She quite fancied chicken, and sought out those dishes. 

“Barth”, replied Bran.  That made sense.  Barth was Bran’s favourite philosopher, and Sansa knew from yesterday’s family lunch that his works formed the basis of her brother’s thesis. 

“How is your dissertation going?”  Bran was in the final stages of his course and only had twenty thousand words on Barth, apparently, to qualify for his post-grad degree.

“Alright”, Bran shrugged.  “Some days are better than others.  And you?  How was your first day?”

“Alright”, Sansa echoed. 

“No, I – I’m really excited about this play.  To be honest, I’m more excited about it than I’ve been about any role in a long time.  It’ll be great to really get into something gritty and raw and not worry about how it looks aesthetically.  And Forel is one of the best playwrights of this century; to be able to say I’ve played the titular character in something he’s written…….it’s pretty cool.”

Sansa smiled, and looked down at her menu.  The chicken dishes didn’t seem spectacular, she found to her annoyance, but there was a warm chicken salad that sounded as if it would fill the hole which had formed in her stomach since the early breakfast she’d shared with Robb.

“Are you ready to order?”  A waiter had appeared at their side without Sansa noticing.  She raised an eyebrow in Bran’s direction, and answered in the affirmative at her brother’s nod of the head. 

“I’ll have the warm chicken salad – not too much mayo – and a small glass of Pinot Grigio”, she told the waiter. 

“BLT on wholemeal – extra mayo – and a water with ice”, added Bran.  They both handed their menus to the waiter.  “How are you managing at Robb’s?  I stayed there once when my dorms were flooded and it was hell.”

“Fine”, Sansa laughed.  She truly was enjoying staying with their older brother.  Although she’d known Jeyne for the best part of a decade, Sansa felt they’d become closer than they’d ever been before in the last week.  And she’d missed Robb a lot more than she thought.

“He obviously doesn’t play the big brother with you as much as he does with me”, Bran sighed.  “Sometimes I think Robb figures I can’t do anything for myself.”

“No”, Sansa replied vehemently. 

“It’s just the way Robb is.  He’s the eldest and he thinks he has to do everything and protect everyone.  He doesn’t take a moment to consider how independent any of us are, because he’ll always be our big brother.  He doesn’t treat you any different to the rest of us.  When I was in high school, he threatened Harrion Karstark before our first date and told him if I ever came home crying, he would end him.”

“He never threatened Meera that way”, Bran snorted. 

“I’m a sister rather than a brother”, Sansa shrugged.  “Robb shows his over-protective, big-brotherly tendencies in different ways.”

When she walked back to the theatre after their lunch, Sansa felt a heightened sense of gratitude towards the determined birthday girl who had called her agent late at night to make changes to her life. 

Had she never had that epiphany, Sansa knew she would have spent today in LA shopping, lunching, and going for a manicure rather than engaging with a new character and spending time with her brother.

“Enjoy your lunch?”  Baelish asked as he took a chair next to Sansa on the stage.

“I did”, Sansa nodded.  “It isn’t often I get to see one of my brothers one on one.  Bran’s at Columbia, and he had some free study time, so………”

“Sounds like a smart young man.  And is he your only brother?”

“No”, Sansa smiled widely.  “I have three.  And all very much over-protective of my sister and I.”  That last part was an exaggeration, but Sansa noted it had something close to the desired effect as Baelish’s smile faded somewhat. 

In truth, Robb was the only one of her brothers who had actively been protective of her when it came to past relationships – though she had seen some of the comments young Rickon had posted on social media regarding Harry, none of which were particularly complimentary of her ex-boyfriend. 

“What a close family you must be”, Baelish commented.  He could speak no further as Varys interrupted and suggested a couple of short scenes as a starting point for their afternoon readings. 

Sansa stepped forward – the role of Alayne was extensive enough that she was in all but a couple of scenes – and threw herself into the part she had utterly fallen in love with. 

This was very different from Jonquil Florian, but it challenged her more as an actress than her role on LA Medics ever had. 

As she lay in the en-suite bathtub back at Robb’s apartment that evening – the closest Sansa knew she would probably get to privacy during her visit – she reflected upon her first day of rehearsals. 

Baelish aside, her new cast mates seemed nice enough.  She’d quite liked Jeyne Poole, who was to play the role of Mya Stone, a false friend to Alayne.  And Varys was a good director, certainly the best she’d worked with in a while. 

Sansa grinned as she was pulled out of her thoughts by the sounds of Lyarra and Neddy arguing over the next game they were to play. 

Stifling the voice in her head that spoke of ticking clocks, Sansa thanked her younger self again for deciding that Robb’s apartment was the ideal location for her sojourn in New York.  She’d already become far closer to her niece and nephew than she’d ever been before and it had only been around a week since her arrival. 

New York was feeling more and more like home, and Sansa hoped more and more that she could put that to the back of her mind and prevent it from influencing her when it came to the decisions she knew she would have to make in the ensuing months. 

Would everything be better if she simply moved home?  This was not a thought Sansa dared voice to any of her family, lest they engage in false hope.  But it was one that had surfaced repeatedly since her return to New York. 

It was the enduring debate for all women – could she have it all?  A family living together in a home she loved and a successful, fulfilling career?

**********

As someone who loved his job, Jon generally didn’t mind Mondays.  He didn’t spend his Sundays counting down the hours until he could go back to work, but then he didn’t count down the hours dreading the moment he walked through the office doors either. 

Like any job, however, Jon’s wasn’t perfect.  And he was reminded of that fact around seven minutes after his arrival on Monday morning.

“Snow, come to my office.  Now.”  Jon put the phone down, pinched the bridge of his nose and said a silent prayer for the day Thorne decided to either retire or move somewhere Jon would never cross paths with him ever again.

Thorne hadn’t made it clear which case he wanted to discuss, but Jon had seen nothing in the scan he had made of his e-mails on the subway that morning to indicate something had gone drastically wrong with any of them over the weekend. 

He walked along the corridor to Thorne’s office, forced a smile as he caught the eye of Thorne’s secretary, Olivia, and knocked on the door.

“Enter.”  Jon walked in to see Thorne sitting behind his desk looking decidedly unhappy.  But then, almost every time Jon found himself in this office Thorne looked decidedly unhappy.  “Snow.”

“You wanted to see me?”  Jon asked, hoping that whatever he had screwed up wasn’t irreparable.  He stood, even though there was a seat opposite Thorne.  Nobody sat down when summoned to Thorne’s office.

“Had to rather than wanted to”, Thorne snorted.  “Talk to me about Ramsay Bolton.”

“Accused of raping and murdering an elderly neighbour, Donella Hornwood.  The police have a witness who can make a positive ID and Bolton himself has confessed to the murder.” 

Bolton had completely creeped Jon out when he’d gone to visit him at the precinct where he was being held, but he wasn’t about to say that to Thorne. 

“And why is his file still open?  This should be an open and shut case – plea bargain the judge and be done with it.”

“It isn’t that simple, sir.”  Jon wondered how much of the file Thorne had actually absorbed.  “Bolton is demanding a full trial and refuses any plea bargain.  The judge in the case – Judge Wull – offered a thirty year sentence, which I found generous given the hideous nature of the crime.  I recommended he take it.”

“You should persuade, not recommend”, Thorne snorted.  “Have you learned none of what I taught you?”

“It is Bolton’s life”, Jon shrugged. 

“I explained to him at length why it was a good deal and that at trial it isn’t beyond the realms of possibility that he could get life with no chance of release.  I explained his confession was being taken into consideration, and that a trial judge might see his behaviour as wasting the court’s time and hold him in contempt on top of everything else.”

“Trial?”

“Bolton intends to plead not guilty when he comes before Judge Wull, even though he has confessed to murdering Mrs. Hornwood.  Nothing I could say would persuade him otherwise”, Jon sighed. 

The Bolton case became more of a nightmare every time Jon thought of it, and he knew well enough that Judge Wull would not take kindly to Bolton’s antics.  He was a tough old man, loyal to the law and the constitution, and fair when presented with facts.  But when crossed, Wull’s determination came through. 

And it wasn’t pretty to watch if your client was on the receiving end of it.

”And why am I only hearing about this now?”  Thorne asked icily.  “You should have discussed this with me as soon as your meeting with Bolton concluded.”

“Everything is in the file, and I did report back to you on all cases I was asked to, sir.” 

Jon was beginning to wish he’d turned over that morning and gone back to sleep.  He mused that it wouldn’t have made any difference; Grenn was up around the same time as Jon each morning, and his friend would have banged on the door until Jon appeared and began his day.  

“Well, you need concern yourself no further with Mr. Bolton.  I shall be taking on his case for now.  Go down to the precinct on 43rd Street and meet with Gerold Dayne – drugs bust.  It’s all you’re good for.  That will be all, Snow.”

“Sir.”  Jon left the office and returned to his own.  At times like this, Jon wished he had taken up boxing in his youth.  Taking his frustration out on a punch bag at the end of the day sounded like a pretty good way to relax. 

“Damn!” he muttered to himself as he logged back in to his computer.  It would take the best part of half an hour to sort out the Bolton file to Thorne’s standards before he sent it over, and then he’d have to go to 43rd Street to meet this man Dayne. 

Thorne could be infuriating at times, and nothing he did would convince Jon that the man didn’t have it in for him.  He longed for the next trial case he had, when he could be out of the office and in a courtroom all day.

Jon’s day did not improve from there.  By the time he got down to 43rd Street it turned out that he wasn’t required; some wealthier relation of Dayne’s had turned up and provided him with a lawyer.  After this waste of time, he had three consecutive meetings that went badly. 

By the time lunch came around and Jon was soaked to the skin going for a sandwich at the deli along the street, he figured the universe was trying to tell him something.

After he returned to the office, Jon locked the door and pulled the blinds shut before changing into a spare suit he always kept in case of an emergency.  As he buttoned up a shirt that was mercifully both clean and dry, Jon hummed the tune to _I don’t like Mondays_. 

While he would normally have stayed on at the office beyond his contracted working hours given the sheer volume of paperwork he had, Jon decided that today was very much the day to leave on time at five thirty.  He thanked Morna, his secretary, and headed home to hopefully relax. 

Jon had got into the habit of checking his personal e-mails on the subway ride home as a way of detaching himself from work and mentally relaxing after a long and usually stressful day. 

Scrolling through his inbox – he really had to figure out a way to limit the amount of unfiltered junk that made it through – Jon saw that he had a new e-mail from Rhaegar. 

 _Dad_. _Father_.  These were not words Jon used when speaking to the man.  Since their first meeting, they had always simply been Jon and Rhaegar.  His mother had raised him on her own and Jon had not met Rhaegar – or even known who his father was – until after her death. 

Never having had a man to call dad or father until he was in his mid-twenties, Jon had awkwardly asked if they could simply operate on a first name basis.

Rhaegar was a musician with the National Orchestra and spent the bulk of the year on tour, so he and Jon kept in touch mostly by e-mail.  He was their First Harpist, and well-known and respected in the musical community. 

When he visited New York, Jon always made a point of seeing and trying to get to him.  The only child of a woman who was one herself, Jon found through Rhaegar something he had never had before – family. 

Jon opened up the e-mail, and began to read.

_Jon,_

_I hope you are well and not working too hard.  My current tour is due in New York in a few weeks and I hope you will be able to attend one of our performances - and allow me to take you out for dinner afterwards._

_Daenerys tells me her work on your new home is going slowly, which probably means you have your own ideas and aren’t letting her get her way about everything._

_I should like to see the house when it is finished.  But that will sadly not be soon.  Once the current tour is finished we are due to start another almost instantly, for overseas forces._

_I am sorry to hear about Val, but am sure there is someone you’ve yet to meet that is just right.  Although things never worked out for me with your mother or with Elia, I do still believe in the possibility of a happy and loving future for all._

_I shall be in New York on the 14 th, 15th and 16th of next month.  Sadly Daenerys tells me she’ll be out of the state on those days and will be unable to join us.  Let me know if you are able to make any of the performances at Madison Square Gardens – or at the very least dinner after the show has finished. _

_Rhaegar_

Jon sighed.  Of all the days……

He wouldn’t say he and Rhaegar were close – Jon had seen Ned Stark interact with his sons often enough to know what a close father and son relationship looked like – but they had built up a steady relationship.  The first few minutes when they met after being apart for a long time had a tendency to be awkward, however, and Jon generally preferred to have Dany as a buffer. 

Jon thought back to the previous Friday when Robb had come over to join in the game he played with Neddy, Lyarra and Sansa.  He would never be able to have that time with Rhaegar, but he needed to put in the effort and improve the relationship they did have. 

When he exited the subway station, Jon decided to break the pattern and try to salvage something out of this day from hell.  He had broken the pattern with Val.  He could do the same with Rhaegar. 

Jon scrolled down his contact list and hit the green call button when Rhaegar’s name lit up.  The call went straight to voicemail, and Jon found himself disappointed.  He realized with a jolt that he didn’t even know where Rhaegar was, only that it was somewhere in the US.

_“You have reached the voicemail of Rhaegar Targaryen.  I’m sorry I cannot take your call at the moment, but if you’d like to leave your name and number then I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”_

Jon swallowed lightly, and then spoke after the beep.  “Hey, Rhaegar.  Its Jon here – I got your e-mail and I was just calling to say that I’ll check my schedule at work tomorrow and figure out when I can come see you at the Garden.  It’ll be great to catch up in person and dinner after sounds a good way to do that.  Sorry Dany won’t be able to make it.  Listen, I’ll try and call at some point tomorrow after I’ve seen my schedule.  Bye.”

Feeling a bit better, Jon ended the call.  It wasn’t too late for him to find some semblance of a father and son relationship with Rhaegar.  He just needed to put more effort into it than he had thus far. 

He needed to stop blaming Rhaegar for something that wasn’t his fault – he hadn’t known of Jon’s existence until after Lyanna’s death.  It is hard to be an active parent to a child you don’t even know you have.

Jon stopped off at the grocery store near his apartment building to buy spaghetti for his evening meal, and decided he would spend the rest of the day packing up some of his things in preparation for his move to Brooklyn.  The building work was well underway, and soon he would have a new home all to himself. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot of the play Sansa is acting in isn't really relevant to the plot of this fic (outside of the play itself being the reason for her return to New York). For anyone who is interested, Alayne is effectively about Sansa's Vale arc in the books.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Jonsa plus Robb's adorable kids cuteness, and a little bit of Rhaegar.

“I’m sorry – I have dinner plans with an old friend”, Sansa apologised when Petyr Baelish asked if she wanted to join him and some of the other cast members for a few drinks to celebrate the end of the first week of rehearsals. 

This was partly true.  She _did_ have dinner plans and Jon Snow _was_ an old friend.  He was Robb’s old friend rather than hers, but potayto potahto.

“Do you ever eat alone?” Baelish quipped.  He’d asked her to join him for lunch three times this week and each time Sansa had turned him down claiming a prior engagement.  She was lucky to be part of a large family.

“I do”, Sansa replied with a forced laugh.  “But this is my first extended trip to New York in years and I want to spend as much time as I can with people I don’t see nearly often enough.  I have family here, and old school friends.”

“Another time.”  Baelish then went to speak to Anya Waynwood, who was to play Lady Ironoaks, and Sansa heaved a sigh of relief. 

She walked towards the exit before anyone else could waylay her and hailed a taxi to Robb’s apartment building.

It had been a long first week, but she felt they were starting to get somewhere.  She’d been measured again for her costume so any adjustments could be made, and each scene had been dissected several times over.  Most of the chemistry issues between the cast had been ironed out, and Sansa was excited to see what the next week would bring. 

Although she’d given the driver the address of Robb’s apartment building, Sansa asked him to stop along the street outside the grocery store. 

She bought candy for Neddy and Lyarra, a pineapple for Jeyne (who’d been craving it all week) and a bottle of red for Robb that they could share over dinner.  Sansa intended to get her brother in a good mood in the hope that he might consider going to a concert with her. 

When she reached Robb’s apartment, Sansa had barely closed the door behind her when a squealing Lyarra ran over and hugged Sansa’s leg.  “Auntie Sansa!”

“Hey, sweetheart.”  Sansa lifted Lyarra up and gave her niece a proper hug.  “Where is everyone?”

“Mummy went to give Neddy a bath, and daddy isn’t back from work yet.  Today is Uncle Jon day.”

“Yeah, Uncle Jon’s coming over tonight”, Sansa chuckled.  She felt a pang that there didn’t seem to be an Auntie Sansa day, but she’d already spent more time with Lyarra since arriving in New York than she had in the last couple of years. 

It hurt her to think that she had been so distant from her niece.  And it was all her own doing. 

“How was school?”

“We did numbers today, and I was the best – Miss Cassel said so”, Lyarra told her proudly.  “Miss Cassel says we’re going to do a big project for the school fair.”

“You like Miss Cassel, then?”  Sansa set Lyarra back down on the floor as her niece nodded.

“How about we put Cinderella on, hmm?” Sansa suggested.  She knew Lyarra loved anything Disney related – and she hadn’t quite put her own love for such animated classics to bed.

They had just reached the Fairy Godmother’s first appearance when Robb returned, with Jon in tow. 

Sansa yawned.  “You’re later than usual.”

“I had a meeting that ran over”, Robb shrugged.  He came over to the sofa and kissed the top of Lyarra’s head.  “Where’s mummy?”

“Neddy had bath time”, his daughter replied. 

“Hey, munchkin”, Jon chuckled.  He mussed Lyarra’s hair before coming round to sit on the sofa opposite her and Sansa. 

Sansa saw Robb head off in search of Jeyne and Neddy. 

“How was your first week?” Jon asked her. 

“Good”, Sansa smiled.  “I’m liking this project a lot.  And you – save anyone from unjustly being convicted this week?”

“Not this week.”  Sansa furrowed her eyebrows at the downhearted tone of his voice.  “You ever have a director you couldn’t please, no matter what you did?”

Sansa nodded.  “Pycelle.  I took on board every note he gave me, but when I perfected what he’d asked for there was always something else he wanted instead.  I don’t know why he didn’t simply re-cast the part.”

“I’m sure if Thorne could re-cast me, he would”, Jon replied.  “He’s just been more Thorne-like than usual this week.  In fact, all of the words I want to use to describe him would lead to me filling up Jeyne’s swear jar.”

“Uncle Jon!” Neddy came bounding into the room and ran over to Jon.  Sansa laughed as her nephew jumped up and down on Jon’s feet. 

It reminded her a little of Jon at Robb’s wedding.  As best man, Robb had made him dance with all the bridesmaids save Arya (who had flatly refused to dance).  Sansa had gracefully tried to guide him around the dance floor but his feet had covered hers more often than not.

“Hey, buddy.”  Jon lifted Neddy up next to him on the sofa, while Sansa whispered to Lyarra that they should switch the DVD off and watch the rest tomorrow.

“Pinky promise”, Sansa vowed, linking her smallest finger with her niece’s.  “We can watch it tomorrow morning in our jammies.”

“Yay!” Lyarra cheered.  “I want to play a game.  Uncle Jon, what game can we play?”

“Maybe we could let Auntie Sansa choose?”

“Auntie Sansa?” Sansa was stumped; she wasn’t sure why Jon had suggested she pick and she couldn’t think of anything – she often worked with small children, but she wasn’t as used to playing games with them as Jon clearly was. 

“Oh, I don’t mind.”  She tried to think back to when she was Lyarra’s age and the games she’d played with Robb.  A wicked grin crossed her face.  “Did your daddy ever tell you about the tickle monster?”

“The tickle monster?” Lyarra repeated as Jon let out a soft chuckle. 

“When I was your age the tickle monster would creep up on unsuspecting young girls and – tickle them all over!” Sansa finished with a laugh as she tickled her niece.  Lyarra squealed loudly, and Sansa could hear Jon and Neddy laughing over on the other sofa. 

“Auntie Sansa! No!” Lyarra squeaked.  “I’m too tickly!”

“Okay.  But the tickle monster could take me over again, so you best watch out.”  Sansa hugged Lyarra tightly and spied Neddy still laughing away.  She got down onto the floor and crawled over to the other sofa, where Neddy bounced up and down next to Jon.

“Neddy”, Sansa spoke solemnly as she faced her nephew.

“Yes?”

“The tickle monster can come for little boys too.”  She moved forward and began to tickle Neddy, who giggled louder than Sansa could remember him doing before. 

“Tickly”, Neddy laughed.  “Uncle Jon, save Neddy!”

“I’m afraid my magical powers don’t extend to defeating the tickle monster, kiddo”, Jon told him with a sigh.

“Maybe Uncle Jon is worried that the tickle monster might come for him next”, Sansa suggested as she tickled the back of Neddy’s knees. 

“He might not succeed, but Uncle Jon would definitely fight back against the tickle monster”, he told Sansa firmly.  She smiled over at Jon, wishing she’d taken notice of her brother’s best friend before now.   

“What’s going on here, then?” Robb asked, coming over to join them.

“The tickle monster got me and now it’s getting Neddy, daddy”, Lyarra told him.  “Why didn’t you tell me about the tickle monster?”

“I thought the tickle monster had been defeated for all time”, Robb replied.  “Would you like me to fight the tickle monster for you?”

“Oh, no.”  But Sansa was drowned out by Lyarra and Neddy’s shouts to fight.

“Well, I think it’s clear what the consensus of opinion is”, Robb smirked.  “Attack!”

Sansa had quick reflexes, but she wasn’t quick enough to get away before Robb descended upon her in a repeat of the original game from their childhood.  Sadly Robb seemed to remember where Sansa was at her most ticklish.

“If you want to give it out, you have to take it back”, Robb laughed. 

“No, yield!” Sansa mumbled from the floor.  “Yield!  Robb!”

“Neddy, Lyarra, come and get your dinner”, Jeyne called.  Sansa returned to the sofa with as much dignity as she could muster while her niece and nephew went to eat. 

“That went well”, she laughed, catching Jon’s eye.

“I’d forgotten about the tickle monster”, he replied.  “Robb got Arya, Bran and Rickon with that game, but you were his first and favourite victim.”

“It was the first thing I could think of.  The truth is, you probably have a better idea of what sort of games they like than I do”, Sansa shrugged.  But on reflection she found it touched her that Jon had suggested she be the one to choose.

Sansa chatted to Jon about nothing of much consequence until Jeyne brought Neddy and Lyarra over to say goodnight.  As she put them to bed, Robb called to say their own dinner was ready. 

“Did you get that bottle of red I bought you?” Sansa asked Robb as he served out their chilli. 

“That’s for me?  Sansa, you didn’t need to buy me wine.”  Robb set down her plate in front of her.

“I bought things for everyone else.  If it makes you feel better then Jon and I could help you drink it.”  Robb chuckled and sat down next to her. 

“Or…….you could come to a concert with me in a few weeks”, Sansa smiled sweetly at her brother, who groaned. 

“Sansa, you know as well as I do that we really don’t have the same taste in music.  What is it this time?  That awful pop guy you like – what’s his name, Marillion?”  Sansa shook her head. 

“The National Orchestra is playing at the Garden.  I was hoping to go and see them.  The music they play reminds me of ballets mum took me to when I was little.”  She noticed Robb and Jon share a look.  Jon nodded.  “What?”

“If you don’t think it would be too dull, you could come with me”, Jon suggested.  “Rhaegar is organizing a ticket for me.  It shouldn’t be any trouble for me to give him a call and ask him to add a second.”

“Rhaegar is your father, isn’t he?”  Sansa said slowly, vaguely remembering Robb telling her about Jon finally meeting the man after his mother’s death. 

“He is, though I just call him Rhaegar.  Twenty six seemed a bit too old to start calling someone _dad_ , so – anyway, he has been with the National for around three years now.  Dany usually comes with me, but she’s out of town that week.  I was going to go alone, though I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to come with me.”

“I’m sure you don’t want me tagging along.”

“Tagging along?” Jon snorted.  “Sansa, I really don’t mind you coming with me.  You could go to dinner with us after, if you like.  Rhaegar always picks somewhere really nice.”

“If it wouldn’t be too much of an imposition, then that would be great.  It’ll save me from torturing Robb in any case.”  Robb laughed, and told her that she’d have to find some other way of doing that. 

Sansa poured herself a glass of wine and took a sip as she wondered at the way her request had turned out.  It seemed a very unlikely plan, and one she would never have thought possible a mere week ago.  A concert and dinner with Jon Snow. 

She tried and failed to recall which instrument Rhaegar played – perhaps Robb had never told her; perhaps he’d never even told her Rhaegar was a musician, given she had taken so little interest in Jon in the past – but it would be a treat and a privilege to have dinner with a member of the National. 

To have secured a contract there, and to have remained for three years spoke of great talent.  Sansa hoped her presence wouldn’t be awkward or a nuisance, and decided if it seemed that way on the night she could always feign a headache and return home.

**********

Jon made a mental reminder to call Rhaegar when he got back to his apartment so he could ask for a second ticket to be set aside for Sansa.  It would be the third time Jon had called him this week, and it marked what Jon hoped was a watershed in their relationship.  

He had decided to make a greater effort to get to know his father and hoped it would work out.

Rhaegar had called back on Monday evening, and apologized for not being able to take his call.  He explained that he normally switched his phone off a couple of hours before the start of a performance.  They’d chatted for around half an hour about where Rhaegar was – Charleston – and how Jon’s house was getting on. 

Cathartic was the only word Jon felt he could use to describe it.  And he felt it had been a long time coming.

He figured that by the time Rhaegar’s concert came around, he and Sansa would have spent enough time together at Jeyne and Robb’s weekly chilli dinners that she would feel comfortable coming to Rhaegar’s concert with him and out for dinner. 

Jon wasn’t always perceptive when it came to women, but he felt as if something was holding her back. 

They had never really spent time together (in fact, Jon vaguely recalled an awkward and mostly silent half an hour when he was around fifteen and Sansa fourteen and she was the only one home when he came to visit Robb). 

Still, they seemed to be getting on far better than they ever had all those years ago.  They even seemed to be able to make conversation, which Jon knew he would once have considered a miracle.

And hopefully his attempts at getting closer to Rhaegar would prevent Sansa from being left feeling awkward and a very necessary third wheel. 

If nothing else, Jon wanted to do this for Robb.  He knew how stressed out Robb was at work, working towards promotion, and how little time he had to himself.  Taking Sansa to a concert wasn’t exactly conducive to relaxation, however much Jon knew Robb loved his sister. 

And if his memory served him well, Jeyne was possibly pregnant again.  He’d overheard her thanking Sansa for a pineapple she’d bought and Jon vividly remembered how Jeyne craved it intensely in the early stages of pregnancy. 

He said nothing, knowing she and Robb were likely a little skittish after her miscarriage at the beginning of the year, but if there was anything he could do to help Robb out, Jon would do it.  

The last week had been awful, and there was so much he wanted to talk to Robb about, but after seeing how stressed out he was Jon had been loathed to add to his friend’s burden.  He pushed all thoughts of his crappy week aside and turned his attention to something Jeyne was saying.

“Do you have any plans for the rest of the weekend?”  Jeyne asked him. 

“Not really.  Dany and Daario are in town for the weekend.  She’s coming shopping with me again tomorrow to complain about my taste in bedding and kitchen accessories, and then we’re going out for lunch on Sunday.  At which point Daario will quite possibly be acting as a human buffer”, Jon joked. 

Dany was very full-on in a professional capacity, but he loved the aunt who’d become almost a sister to him. 

“How about you and Robb?”  He hoped Robb wouldn’t have to spend his Saturday on paperwork again.  Jon had to do that himself from time to time, and he couldn’t imagine having to try and balance that with spending precious time with his family.

“Nothing much tomorrow, though we’re at Ned and Catelyn’s for lunch on Sunday”, Jeyne told him. 

Superbowl heroes came and went, the House of Representatives moved between parties, and pop sensations arrived and departed seemingly overnight, but each and every Sunday found each and every Stark then in New York City attending Catelyn’s Sunday lunch. 

“Robb mentioned your mother cancelled her annual visit.”  Mrs. Westerling usually visited from Portland for a fortnight each summer.  It was a low point in Robb’s year, Jon knew, and one in which he tended to stay late at the office more than normal. 

“Yes, thank the gods”, Jeyne sighed.  She snorted. 

“Most people would be delighted that their daughter is happily married to a wonderful and successful man, and mother to two amazing children like Lyarra and Neddy.  My mother, on the other hand, is still mad that I didn’t marry the mayor’s son.  Awful little toad he was.”  Jeyne screwed up her face. 

“No, she refuses to stay in a hotel and I told her we don’t have a room for her to stay in.  As much as I know they don’t get on, Ned and Catelyn would have her to stay if we asked.”

“So you didn’t ask.”

“No.  Mother and I had quite a row about it, but I told her I wasn’t about to turf Sansa out or make the kids share a room when I know she can perfectly afford to stay in a decent hotel if she’s that keen to see us.  Sorry.”

“What are you apologizing to me for?”  Jon was puzzled. 

“I complain about her, but at least I have a mother.  Gods was that even more insensitive of me?”  Jon shook his head, and then tapped her hand softly.

“Hey, everyone has their own parental issues. It’s taken me years to get to a place where I can have a decent conversation with my father.  Yes, the circumstances are unusual, but family relationships are as tough as any other.  They don’t pick you, they’re stuck with you.  And you don’t pick them, you’re stuck with them.” 

Jeyne laughed at that, and said she supposed she understood where Jon was coming from.

“Thanks for the concert”, Jeyne said in a lower voice.  “I know how stressed out he is at work at the moment, and after dinner a beer and the television remote are the most he’s looking for.”

“No problem”, Jon shrugged.  “I figured that, and besides I was going anyway.”

When it reached ten, Jon called it a night.  They all seemed pretty tired, and he had an early start in the morning.

Before leaving, he turned to Sansa and asked for her number.  “I’m going to call Rhaegar when I get back to the apartment and ask him to sort out your ticket.  Can I have your number, so I can let you know when he gets back to me?  It’ll save me asking Robb to pass on a message you probably won’t get until I remind him.”

“I’m not _that_ bad at passing on messages”, Robb grumbled as Sansa produced her iphone.  She unlocked the phone, typed in what he soon realized was his name, and handed it to Jon.  He typed in his number, and she sent him a blank message.

“Thanks”, Jon smiled.  “I should hear back from him over the weekend.”

Jon saved the number and marked the contact as _Sansa Stark_.  He hugged Robb and Jeyne, gave Sansa a smile he hoped wasn’t as awkward as he felt, and then left. 

Walking down the stairs, he wondered if he should’ve hugged Sansa.  He hadn’t when he left the week before, and her hug when he’d arrived that night marked what he thought was probably the only occasion Sansa had ever hugged him. 

No, she wouldn’t expect it.  And while they’d talked more in the last couple of weeks than they used to, they were hardly close friends – even if he was taking her to one of Rhaegar’s performances.

The subway was busy – busier than it usually was at this time on a Friday – and Jon figured there must be some big music or sporting event on somewhere.  His apartment wasn’t too far from Robb’s, and for the first time he considered the lengthening of his journey home on Friday nights after he moved to Brooklyn. 

When he got back to the apartment, it quickly became apparent that the only other people in were Grenn and his girlfriend, Violet.  Jon helped himself to a beer from the fridge and made sure it was past the time Rhaegar’s concerts normally ended, before collapsing onto the sofa.  He scrolled through his phone and then hit dial.

“Good evening, Jon.  This is a nice surprise”, Rhaegar said as he answered. 

“How was tonight?”  Jon asked. 

“Good.  It was our last night here, so there was an extra encore.  The arena was full – has been every night.  How are you?”

“Not bad”, Jon settled on.  Work-wise his week had been hellish, but it was now over and he always found himself relaxing into the weekend over at Robb and Jeyne’s. 

“I just got back from Robb’s.  He and Jeyne have me over every Friday night for chilli.”

“Robb is the one you’ve known since you started school, am I right?”  Jon confirmed he was.  “I do remember some things – not senile yet!”

“Speaking of Robb – his sister’s staying for a while, and without realizing you were part of the National she asked Robb if he wanted to go to the concert with her when you’re in New York.  I was wondering if we could maybe sort out an extra ticket and she could come with me.  Would that be possible?  And I figured she could come out for dinner with us after.  It’d be rude of me to just leave her to make her own way back after it’s finished.”

“Of course.  I can add a second easily enough.  You can always bring a date with you.  I don’t mind.  I would be honoured to meet any woman you wanted to introduce me to.” 

Jon wondered if Rhaegar was hurt that he’d never introduced him to Val.  They’d spoken about it a couple of times but at first Jon felt like he should go alone, and then either Dany had been a buffer on Rhaegar’s infrequent trips to New York or Jon and Val had been going through a separation. 

“It’s not a date.”  Jon wanted to make that clear enough before Rhaegar said something in front of Sansa that embarrassed them all.  “Sansa has a boyfriend back in LA.  She’s just working out here for a few months on a play.”

“A play – Robb’s sister.  Sansa _Stark_?  The actress?”  Rhaegar obviously recalled enough about Robb to remember his surname.

“Yeah, she – you haven’t met her before?  She didn’t say anything at dinner.”  Sansa certainly hadn’t seemed to recognize his name in any capacity other than that of Jon’s father. 

“I know her by reputation mostly.  She was in a film, oh, four or five years ago that I played on the Score for.”

“Oh, right.”  Jon filed that piece of information away, having forgotten – if he’d ever known it – that this was something Rhaegar had done in the past.  That’d give them something to talk about if conversation faltered.  “Where are you off to next?”

“Atlanta.  We have a couple of days off now, and then two nights of performances.  You have plans with Dany this weekend?”

“Yeah, tomorrow and Sunday”, Jon confirmed. 

“Enjoy yourselves.  I’ll speak to someone tomorrow morning about the tickets and book a restaurant for us.  Take care.”

“You too.  Bye.”  Jon ended the call, and sighed heavily.  He was looking forward to his plans with Dany and Daario.  He’d received another job offer – a good one – and after the week from hell with Thorne, for the first time Jon was contemplating moving on. 

Robb had too much on his plate, and he’d never discussed his career with Rhaegar beyond what telling him what he did for a living.  He could’ve asked Grenn, Pyp or Edd, but in truth he had a great deal of faith and trust in Dany’s judgement. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon and Sansa spent Sunday afternoon with their respective families, Sansa has some reflections, and we get a bit of background on Jon's career choices.

“You going to be much longer?” Robb shouted through the bathroom door.  “We need to leave in half an hour.  Sansa?”

“A few more minutes”, Sansa answered.  She checked her phone and saw that she’d been lying in the bath for the best part of three quarters of an hour. 

It had always been her habit in LA on free Sundays to indulge in this luxury.  Robb’s bath wasn’t as large as the en-suite she had at home, and there was more noise than she normally dealt with, but her muscles were just as soothed and she still found her clarity of mind.

It had been almost two weeks since her arrival in New York, and already Sansa was starting to feel as if she had been home for months.  She’d slipped into life in her home city, and in Robb’s apartment in particular, as if she’d put on a glove long lost. 

It shouldn’t be this easy, should it?  To separate herself from the life she had built for herself?  The life she had always wanted. 

Another three months, and then she was due to go back to LA.  But did that mean going _home_?

Sansa washed the last of the soap from her arms and drained the water from the bath.  She wrapped herself in a towel, threw on a bathrobe and went back to her bedroom to dress.  Opening the wardrobe, Sansa picked out a blue sundress.  It felt like summer today, and she wanted to dress for the season. 

As she was spraying her perfume, Sansa heard a knock on the bedroom door.  “Come in.”

 Lyarra walked in, wearing her Sunday best.

“Daddy says it’s time to go to see grandma and grandpa”, Lyarra told her. 

“And Auntie Sansa is keeping everyone waiting?” she replied.  Lyarra nodded.

“That’s what daddy said to mummy.”  Sansa laughed, and said she wasn’t sure Lyarra was meant to repeat that.  She grabbed her clutch bag and followed her niece to the front door, where an impatient Robb was waiting with Jeyne and Neddy.

“You know mum will blame me if we’re late”, Robb huffed.  “It’ll never be your fault, no matter how often I’m early when you’re not here.”

“I’m sure she won’t say anything.”  Sansa patted Robb’s arm as she passed.  Sometimes she thought Robb worried too much about being the perfect eldest son.

They made it to her parents’ townhouse in good time, as Sansa had known they would.

“We’re here!” Robb announced as he opened the door.  He let Lyarra and Neddy run ahead through the hallway to the kitchen. 

Sansa followed Robb and Jeyne through to the noise of the Stark family kitchen.  Her mother was putting the finishing touches to Sansa’s favourite strawberry cheesecake while Lyarra and Neddy jumped all over her father. 

“Hello, sweetheart”, her mother said.  She set aside the cheesecake and came over to hug Sansa. 

“Hello.  Can I help with anything?”  She had yet to outgrow the habit of being the dutiful eldest daughter who always helped her mother.  Perhaps she wasn’t any different Robb in that respect.  Perhaps they were both simply continuing to crave their parents’ approval, as they always had when younger.

“You cannot”, her mother told her firmly.  “You can sit down and visit like the rest of them.  Not in here, though, or you’ll all be picking at lunch before its ready.  Go through to the family room.  Bran is already there, watching TV.  I’ll only be a few minutes.”

Sansa found Bran in the family room, watching a documentary about Area 52 and the potential existence of aliens. 

“This is Jojen and Meera’s new film”, he told her.  “The one I told you about at lunch last Monday?  They’re entering it in a few of the film festivals later this year.”

“Oh, right.”  Sansa had always been a little freaked out by Independence Day (though she hated to admit that in the presence of others).  “I hope it does well.  But maybe it isn’t suitable for Lyarra and Neddy?”

Bran grunted, and Sansa felt a little guilty for using her niece and nephew as an excuse – even if there was some truth in what she said – but her brother turned the film off. 

Sansa tipped off her sandals and curled up on the comfy single seat next to the open fireplace.  It wasn’t lit at this time of year, but Sansa loved to curl up next to it all the same. 

“How’s Rickon getting on?”  Robb asked.  “He never answers any of my text messages or e-mails.”

“I get most of his news from Facebook”, Bran shrugged.  Rickon had always been wild, and Sansa suspected him of spending more time partying than studying.  Although he and Bran were polar opposites in that way, they were incredibly close for all Rickon often neglected to keep in touch. 

“Your mother called him yesterday”, her father said.  “He’s staying up in Maine for most of the summer working, but he’s hoping to come down for a break or two.”

“Is Arya – “ Sansa didn’t manage to get any further, as she was interrupted by Robb shouting after his children.

“Lyarra!  Neddy!  No riding on Uncle Bran’s chair!”  Sansa snorted at the sight of Robb jumping up after his children while Bran wheeled his chair out of sight with Lyarra hanging on to the side and Neddy sat on his knee. 

In all the commotion, Sansa heard her phone bleep.  She unlocked it to see she had a text message from Jon Snow.  He’d texted her on Friday night to say he’d spoken to his father and confirmed there wouldn’t be any problems adding a second ticket for her. 

_Hi, Sansa.  Hope you’re all enjoying your Sunday lunch chez Stark.  I’ve just had a call from Rhaegar to confirm the tickets are definitely sorted and he’s booked a table at Hobb’s for after the performance.  Hope that’s okay with you – let me know if I need to get him to change it.  I didn’t think you had any food allergies to consider?  Anyway, let me know if there are any problems.  See you at Robb and Jeyne’s on Friday.  Jon._

Sansa had never heard of Hobb’s, but figured she could ask around.  She sent off a quick reply thanking him for letting her know, and confirming her lack of food allergies. 

“Can none of you manage ten minutes without someone looking at their phone?”  Sansa looked up at the sound of her mother’s sigh, and felt a tad guilty. 

“Sorry.”

“Please tell me it isn’t something work related.  Not on a Sunday.  You all work far too hard as it is.” Sansa smiled.

“No, it isn’t.  Just a concert I wanted to go to.”

“Jon sorted out the tickets?”  Robb asked.  He had returned, and set Lyarra and Neddy to playing with some toys usually left over for nights when they stayed with their grandparents. 

“He has”, Sansa nodded.  “And we’re going to a place called Hobb’s after?  Do you know it?”

“Wow”, Robb coughed.  “Yeah, it’s really fancy.  Jon will need to put the penguin suit on, though he hates doing so.  It – although it’s really fancy, it’s quiet.”

“What concert is this?”  It was her mother that spoke, but Sansa’s keen eyes saw the look between her parents. 

“The National Orchestra.  I was trying to persuade Robb to come with me, but he suggested Jon take me instead since he was already intending to go.”

“ _Oh_ ”, her mother replied in a high tone.

“Rhaegar plays for the National”, Robb added.  Sansa sent telepathic thanks to her elder brother. 

“I thought maybe…….” Her mother trailed off as her father coughed.  She sat down in the seat nearest Sansa. 

“It isn’t a date, mom”, said Sansa, eyes rolling.  “I barely know Jon.  I mean, obviously I’ve known him a long time, but that doesn’t mean I know him well.  Besides, there’s - ”

“Don’t say there’s Loras to consider”, her father put in.  He exchanged another look with her mother, and Sansa wanted to scream.  All she wanted was a quiet Sunday lunch with her family. 

“Most of the time Jon and I live on opposite sides of the continent”, said Sansa through gritted teeth.  “It doesn’t make sense to date anyone I will need to break up with after the play is done.”

“Sansa, sweetie, your father and I worry about all of you.”  Gods, her parents were staging an intervention on her non-existent love life. 

Sansa wondered if there was anything beyond that level of parental mortification. 

“We just want you to be happy.  I understand why you came to the arrangement you did, and I commend you for wanting to help your friend.  But neither your father nor I want you to feel beholden to it because of your friendship with Margaery or Loras.”

“I know, and I will admit that while I’m in New York one of the things I want to do is consider whether or not I want our arrangement to continue.”  Sansa forced a smile.  “But it isn’t a date.  With Jon.  I just wanted to go to a concert.  I didn’t know he was going.  I think he only offered to take me as a favour to Robb.”

Sansa looked to her sister-in-law for support.

“How are the plans going for your anniversary party, Catelyn?”  Jeyne asked.   

“Oh – “ Her mother seemed caught by the abrupt change in subject.  “Well, I think.  Ned?”

“Well”, he agreed.  “It is one of the few invitations Rickon will accept for the summer.  We thought we’d have the party here.  Cat’s been sorting out the guest list and we decided to hire Mollen’s to do the catering and so on.”

“Even Edmure has agreed to come”, Catelyn put in.  “He has some new girlfriend or other he wants to introduce to us all.  Though whether or not they are still involved by the time the party comes around is another matter.”

Sansa allowed herself to sit in silence as her parents discussed their party plans with Robb and Jeyne.  She noted that Bran sat slightly off the rest of the group and gave her a sympathetic shrug.  Gods, was that what things had come to? 

But then, hadn’t she acknowledged it herself on her birthday?  The truth behind the lies of her life.  Wasn’t that why she was here – she recognized it, was it so improbable that her family would too?  She wasn’t happy in her job and she wasn’t the lucky girlfriend of Loras Tyrell.  She had dealt with the former but not the latter. 

The problem, though, was that Sansa wasn’t entirely sure she was ready to _date_ again. 

Or, perhaps, it was more accurate to say she wasn’t entirely sure if she was ready and willing to let her heart be broken again as it had been by Joffrey and Harry.  She wasn’t sure if she could stand the humiliation again. 

Or the pity. 

Sansa wondered at the speed with which her parents had – it wasn’t even assumed, it was hoped.  They _hoped_ she was going on a date with Jon.  Was that born from desire for her to move home again, or for her to date Jon himself? 

She didn’t even know Jon well, not really.  Even these last two weeks they’d mostly spoken of how she was finding living in New York again, and he’d told her lots of funny stories about Neddy and Lyarra.

Whatever they wanted or hoped, Sansa figured at least both she and Jon knew it wasn’t a date.  Jon still believed her to be Loras’s faithful girlfriend, so he wouldn’t expect anything of her.  She was simply Robb’s sister and he was Robb’s best friend.  That was all it was, and all it would ever be. 

Though Sansa admitted to herself she was looking forward to the concert.  She had heard recordings of the National Orchestra’s work, and adored it.  There was something sad and poetic about it that reminded Sansa of her childhood ballet recitals, and the performances of The Nutcracker her mother took her to as a Christmas treat. 

There was not, nor would there ever be, anything more than friendship between her and Jon. 

**********

Jon took advantage of Dany and Daario’s preference for a late lunch to have a lie in on Sunday morning.  It had been a long and horrible working week, and he’d spent most of his Saturday trailing around shops with Dany buying things for the new house. 

He’d purchased a number of kitchen accessories he wasn’t sure he would ever need – for starters, he couldn’t recall ever using a food blender – but which Dany sold him on so thoroughly he was left wondering if she was working on commission.

He’d also swung by a toy shop.  Little Sam had a birthday coming up, and Jon had bought him some stuff for the new Power Rangers revival series on Netflix.  Sam had been going on for months about how his son loved the show. 

He hadn’t set the alarm, and was woken by the sunlight streaming through his window.  Jon looked at the clock beside his bed and saw it was a little after eleven.  The sounds of Grenn and his girlfriend debating what to do with their day filtered through the apartment.  

Edd and Pyp both had early shifts today, and so Jon knew they would have already left.  He threw off the covers, grabbed a towel and a change of clothes, and headed for the shower. 

After his shower and a bowl of cereal, Jon flicked through the Sunday papers before taking the subway downtown to meet Dany and Daario at Astapor. 

Jon was early, so once he’d been shown to the table Dany usually requested when making a reservation he ordered a beer to drink and pass the time. 

He flicked through his e-mails out of habit and saw there was one from Director Mormont, his ultimate boss, asking him to come along to his office for a meeting on Monday.  It was warmly addressed and asked Jon to come at his own convenience.  Nevertheless, Jon felt his stomach fall as he wondered just what Thorne had been nit-picking over that required him to see Mormont.

Jon was almost thirty years old.  He was a graduate of NYU and Harvard Law and an experienced lawyer.  Even by his own modest standards he was intelligent enough, and articulate.  And yet Thorne somehow had the ability to make him feel as if he were thirteen again, being scolded by his Math teacher for his poor grades in Trigonometry. 

As he brooded over his work situation, his mobile rang.  Rhaegar.

“Afternoon”, Jon said as he answered.  “How are you?”

“Good.  The southern climate agrees with me more than that of the north.  Listen, I can only talk for a moment because I’ve got a rehearsal.  I just wanted to let you know that I’ve been handed two tickets for the New York performance you’re coming to.  I’ll have them sent on to you.”

“That’s fantastic”, Jon enthused.  “Thanks for getting it sorted so quickly.  Dany and I were talking about it yesterday.  She’s still gutted about being out of the state that week, but she says her client is pretty high maintenance.”

“Dany’s been coming to my performances for years, and I’m sure she can fly out to just about anywhere I am at a moment’s notice when she isn’t working”, Rhaegar replied. 

“Oh, and I’ve booked Hobb’s for dinner after the concert.  I booked a table for three.  They know me there, so I asked for one near the back.  We’ll have a bit more privacy.”

“I’ll let Sansa know.  I’m not sure I’ve ever been there, now that I think on it.”

“Their food is to die for.  I’ll need to go – speak to you soon.  Bye, son.”

“Bye.”

Jon hung up, and immediately started typing out a text message to Sansa before he forgot.  As he typed, Jon had a sudden panicked thought that Sansa might be on some weird LA diet thing for her new play.  All he’d ever seen her eat since her return to New York was chilli. 

Feeling he couldn’t really ask her that, Jon said she should let him know if there were any food allergies that needed to be taken into consideration.  He couldn’t recall any from childhood, but he’d never paid attention then to what Sansa ate. 

“Sorry we’re late”, Dany apologized a while later when she and Daario turned up.  By this point, Jon had switched to wine, and was halfway through his glass.  He’d also mentally made his menu selection.

“Don’t worry about it”, said Jon as he hugged her.  He shook hands with Daario and then sat back down.

“Already decided?”  Daario asked when he and Dany started looking through their menus.  Jon nodded.  The waiter came over promptly – Dany was a regular customer and well-known as a generous tipper – and they ordered a bottle of red wine. 

“Anything exciting happen in the world of Jon since I saw you last?”  Dany teased.

“You mean in the last twenty hours?  No, not really.  Just a summons to see the big boss tomorrow.  And you?”

“Nothing, so let’s talk about your thing.”  They were interrupted by the arrival of the waiter with their wine.  When they’d finished placing their food order, Dany turned back to Jon expectantly. 

“I don’t know what it’s about.” Jon held up his hands defensively.  “I just have an e-mail asking me to a meeting on Monday morning.  I’m sure Thorne’s behind it.  He’s been worse than usual recently – particularly this last week.”

“If you’ve done nothing wrong then it might be something good.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know.  I decorate rich people’s houses, Jon.  I don’t know what fancy things you lawyers do.”

“Maybe, but you’re still ten times smarter than most of the ones I know.  And then some.” Jon sighed.  He hated the topic of Thorne invading his weekend, but there was something he had to speak to someone about.  And Dany was his chosen earpiece. 

“I’ve been made an offer”, he said quietly. 

“A new job?”  Jon nodded.

“I didn’t go for an interview.  Well, not as such.  I was in court on Thursday when Morgan Liddle cornered me.  He’s a senior partner at Flint, Norrey and Liddle.  It’s one of the biggest criminal defense firms in the north-east, never mind New York.” 

Jon had been shocked Morgan Liddle even knew his name.  The man was hugely experienced and skilled at what he did, and a partner in a firm which turned over tens of millions of dollars a year.  They’d handled numerous high-profile cases and were well known for their discretion.

“We spoke for five minutes”, Jon continued. 

“He said he knew who I was, that he considered my time at the PD’s Office admirable, and that he hoped I’d consider making the switch to private practice.  You should have heard his offer, Dany.  It was basically every law student’s wet dream – basic salary twice what I’m on now with a chance of generous bonuses, a senior partner as a mentor, a promise of promotion to junior partner if I proved myself………”

“You’ve turned down good offers before, Jon”, Dany pointed out.  She took a sip of wine.  “What makes this one different?  The amount of money being offered?  I’ve never known that to make a difference before.”

“It isn’t the money as much as it’s my current work situation and Thorne being Thorne” Jon sighed. 

“Part of me thinks my job isn’t worth the stress of turning things over and over in my head each night to make sure everything is Thorne-proof.  And part of me thinks I shouldn’t leave a job I love just because of one idiot.  After all, there’s no guarantee I won’t meet with another Thorne wherever I go.  I know it’s slightly shallow of me, but I was flattered Liddle knew my name.  I was flattered Liddle knew anything about my career.  You don’t turn down the offer of a job this good with a firm this good without giving it serious thought.”

“What’s holding you back?” Dany asked.  “If this offer is so amazing, then why are we discussing it rather than celebrating it?”

“I didn’t become a lawyer to defend rich people.  I got into it to make sure that justice was done – fairly.  Prosecution was never really my thing.  I didn’t want the pressure of getting a verdict at any cost, not when there are too many miscarriages of justice as it is.  If I went to Flint, Norrey and Liddle, I’d be defending the rich from prosecution.  A defense bought and paid for.  Isn’t someone as equally innocent but poor as deserving of the time I put into my work?” 

Jon knew he sounded a tad self-righteous, but he couldn’t help recalling Mr. Quagg – a low-paid dock worker who attended the church his mother had taken him to on and off throughout his childhood.  Mr. Quagg lived in Queens, but the priest was an old friend of his son, and they attended the church together. 

Jon knew his mother had given art classes to the son for free, though they had never spoken of it.  The younger Quagg’s girlfriend died in a knife attack, and he was arrested for her murder. 

Was Mr. Quagg’s son less entitled to a proper defense than the sons of the other parishioners at Father Michael’s church just because he had no money?  Jon remembered both Quaggs, and even now – ten years after he’d heard young Quagg had died in prison – he wasn’t anywhere close to being convinced of the man’s guilt. 

“You’re a good man, Jon”, Dany said after a few moments.  “Too good for what you do.  You’d still be helping people.  And if there isn’t a pro bono scheme at that firm, why not pitch it as an idea.  If the firm is as successful as you say they are then they can certainly afford it.”

Jon nodded, and sat quietly for a few moments.  At the very least, it couldn’t hurt to call Liddle – who had given him the firm’s business card and scribbled his own personal line on the back – and arrange a meeting to at least discuss the role in more detail.  No commitment.

“And now to happy things”, Dany sighed when their food arrived.  “Are you taking time off this summer?”

“Maybe”, Jon shrugged.  “August isn’t the best month to be in the city so I thought I might come visit.  If you think you can stand to have me, that is.”

“You’re always welcome”, Dany scolded him.  “I’m taking a house in the Hamptons this summer, so you can come visit Daario and I there.”

“This is good”, Jon moaned as the first bite of his lemon chicken slid down his throat.  “And I’ll probably take you up on that offer.  I don’t do well with warm weather; prefer New York winters to New York summers.”

“I’ve also booked flights to go down to Memphis next week to surprise Rhaegar when he’s playing there”, said Daenerys.  “I’ll be able to give you all the inside information on their set list.”

“Thanks, but I’ll warn you in advance that it’ll be a miracle if I recognize a couple of pieces.”  Jon hadn’t inherited Rhaegar’s love of creating music any more than he’d inherited his mother’s love of painting. 

He was looking forward to the concert.  And Rhaegar’s visit would be a good test of Jon’s resolve to get to know the man better.  He hoped Sansa didn’t find them either too dull or too awkward. 

The following day at their meeting, Mormont offered Jon a promotion of sorts, which involved working directly under him on appeals cases – far away from Thorne’s oversight.  And so the invitation to join Flint, Norrey and Liddle was politely declined. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you once again for the lovely response to this fic! Time for Jon and Sansa's friend-date......

Rhaegar’s arrival in New York came at the beginning of Jon’s second week in his new role at the PD’s Office, working under Mormont in Appeals. 

Mormont had assigned him the case of political activist Mance Rayder, who had been convicted of a number of public order offences, contempt of court and the handling of stolen goods (official documents he acted as courier for between a governmental official he refused to name and a journalist). 

Jon had to travel upstate to visit Rayder in the State Penitentiary the day he was due to attend Rhaegar’s performance, and it limited the amount of time he had after work to get ready.  Thankfully he had yet to complete his move to Brooklyn – all for the best given his bathroom was being fitted that week and so the house didn’t have a working bath or shower installed. 

When he’d been over at Robb’s the previous Friday, Jon had arranged with Sansa that he’d pick her up in an Uber around an hour before the performance was due to start. 

Jon tended to use the subway when travelling around New York, taking the odd taxi in an emergency, but he’d figured Sansa was used to travelling in greater style and had set up an Uber account. 

Grenn had laughed as he helped Jon set up the app on his phone, but Jon figured it was worth it to avoid starting the night off on a downer. 

On his way out to the New York State Penitentiary late morning, Jon had sent off a quick text to Sansa to confirm their plans and said he would call when the Uber was a couple of blocks away so she would know when to come downstairs. 

He’d received a reply a while later (presumably sent during her lunch break), in which she’d thanked him again for organizing things and said she was looking forward to the performance. 

Jon managed a quick shower and hair dry before pulling on the uncomfortable tux he kept at the back of the closet.  He hated wearing the damn thing, but when Robb had told him how up-market Hobb’s was it had become inevitable. 

Jon only hoped that Sansa realized the effort he was going to on her part – because Rhaegar rarely took him anywhere that fancy and when he did, Jon didn’t bother putting on anything dressier than a suit.

Although he hadn’t told her he’d do so, Jon sent Sansa a text when he got into the Uber to let her know he was on his way.  Robb complained regularly that his sister took forever to get ready, and Jon (knowing their seats were close to the front) didn’t want to be the person everyone stared at coming in after the performance had started. 

_Urgh, you’re as bad as Robb!  I’m ready – call as promised when you’re a couple of blocks away._   _Sansa._

Jon snorted at her reply.  He was starting to know Sansa a little better and she was far more relaxed around him than she’d ever been. 

While part of him still hadn’t got over the shock of her hugging him the first Friday he’d come over to Robb’s after she’d arrived from LA, another part of Jon felt as each Friday passed he got to know a little bit more of the Sansa he had overlooked throughout his childhood.

Sansa proved to be as ready as she claimed in her text message.  When the Uber pulled up outside Robb’s apartment building, she walked out the door right on cue. 

Before Jon could get out to hold the door open for her, she was climbing in.  Sansa had a huge smile on her face and was wearing a dress and wrap even Jon could tell was the same sapphire blue as her eyes. 

“Told you so”, she smirked. 

“You’re right”. Jon smiled as he raised his hands in surrender.  “I shouldn’t have taken Robb’s teasing so seriously.  How are you?”

“Good”, Sansa nodded.  “Neddy and Lyarra were very upset they couldn’t come.  Lyarra said it wasn’t fair that I got to dress up and she didn’t.  I think Neddy just wanted to see you.”

“They’re good kids.” 

Although they’d known each other for twenty years, Jon had still been slightly surprised – and hugely honoured – when Robb and Jeyne had asked him to be Neddy’s godfather.  Given Robb’s closeness to his siblings and the fact that Jeyne was hardly an only child herself, he’d never thought of himself as an obvious choice. 

Neddy and Lyarra both called him Uncle Jon, even though they weren’t related by blood, and Jon equally considered them as good as his niece and nephew.

“Apologies about the dress – I meant to go shopping for something new to wear, but I ran out of time.”  Jon was confused. 

“What’s wrong with the dress?  It looks smart enough to me, though I’m by no means an expert.  Is it out of fashion now or something?  Sorry.  I’m not cool enough to keep up with that sort of thing.” 

Jon wore plain black suits to work along with a shirt and tie, and on the weekends he could mostly be found in black skinny jeans and either a black or grey top.  He valued comfort and looking tidy over whatever was on trend.

“On the contrary, I’d say you weren’t shallow enough to keep up with that sort of thing”, Sansa retorted. 

“I just meant that I’ve worn it to a public event in LA before.  I actually brought it with me because I thought I could wear it to my parents’ anniversary party.  I didn’t really intend on going to anything like this while I was in New York.  This trip was supposed to be strictly about the play I’m doing and spending time with my family.”

“Why is it a problem you’ve worn it to a public event before?”  Jon was still confused, and his brows remained as furrowed as they had when Sansa had first mentioned the dress issue. 

“Do people in LA only wear an outfit once before getting rid of it?  It seems a bit of a waste.”  Surely a wedding dress was the only one you wouldn’t wear again?

“In my line of work, it is a bit of a faux pas to wear a dress twice.  At least where other people can see it”, Sansa shrugged.

“Don’t worry about it – you must like it if you brought it with you, and it looks great.  At least, in my unknowledgeable opinion.”  Sansa laughed at his awkward attempt at humour, and thanked him with a pat on the hand. 

When they reached Madison Square Gardens, Jon paid the Uber driver and helped Sansa from the car.  He caught sight of the massive heels she wore and wondered how women managed to walk in such things without tripping over their own feet. 

“Yeah, I should have thought of that as well.”  She was apologetic again, and Jon was starting to feel a little whiplash.  What was she sorry for this time?

“My shoes”, Sansa elaborated.  She’d obviously seen him looking at them. 

“I don’t know how your feet can stand walking in those things.”  He’d never understood why women crammed their feet into uncomfortable-looking shoes with heels so high they turned them into some sort of safety hazard.

“I just meant that – well, they make me around a head taller than you.”

“So?  I’m the same height as Robb – you’d be taller than him as well in them.”  Sansa was hardly the first woman he’d met who was taller than him in heels, and he doubted she’d be the last. 

“I’m just concerned they’re a bit of a safety hazard, is what I meant.”

“So”, Sansa smiled.  Jon wasn’t quite sure what all this was about, so he simply suggested they head inside and find their seats.    

When Jon showed their tickets to one of the stewards, they were taken personally to their seats by someone in a suit.  Jon had known their seats were near the front (they always were when he went to see Rhaegar perform) but he hadn’t realized they were in the second row. 

He was also thankful they had aisle seats.  While that could be a pest when everyone was filing in, Jon always found it better during the performance to have a bit of space. 

“Rhaegar gave me a couple of passes for after”, Jon told Sansa as she perused one of the programs he’d bought for the two of them. 

“Oh?”

“To get us through backstage?  He gave me directions to where the green room is; said he’d meet us there, and then we can head to Hobb’s.”

Jon enjoyed the performance.  Although it wasn’t the type of music he would normally buy or listen to on the radio – there weren’t enough guitars for his liking – he could tell how talented the musicians were, and that they’d put a lot of work into it. 

From his glances in her direction, he could tell that Sansa was enjoying it and was moved by the music.  Jon figured she had the artistic heart Rhaegar went on about every so often. 

During the interval, Jon checked his phone and made small talk with the man next to him (the father of one of the cellists) while Sansa excused herself and went to the bathroom. 

He noted a text from Dany, saying she hoped he was enjoying himself and moaning about her jet lag, and sent off a quick reply.  He also texted his half-sister Rhae, an ER Nurse Manager in New Orleans, with a picture he’d taken of Rhaegar and the rest of the orchestra when the curtain was raised.

“Well, someone’s popular”, Sansa told him with a smirk as his phone went off at the moment she returned to her seat.  Jon quickly checked to see if it was important, and saw Rhae had replied. 

“My sister – half-sister, really”, Jon mumbled.  “I sent her a picture from earlier.”

“Ah.  But not the only attention you’ve received tonight.”  Jon looked at her in confusion.  “I was in the bathroom, minding my own business, when I heard a couple of women talking about you.”

“About me?  I wonder who it was.”  Jon couldn’t recall anyone he knew from work mentioning coming to the performance, though he supposed it was possible.  He looked around to see if he recognized any faces.

“It wasn’t anyone you know”, Sansa told him.  “I just overheard a couple of women – sorry I was in the stall so I couldn’t see what they looked like – mention my name and wonder who the attractive man on my arm was.”

“Oh.”  Jon had an uncomfortable flashback to the failure that was his date with Alysanne Bulwer a few weeks before. 

“Sorry – I forgot about before.”  Sansa looked a bit more serious now, as she seemingly read his mind.  “That time at Robb’s when you complained about people judging you on your looks?  I……you’re a good man, Jon.  Don’t change and become shallow like the rest of us.”

“I don’t think you’re shallow”, Jon told her, echoes of their conversation in the Uber running through his mind. 

“You’re not.  If you were shallow, you would have cancelled tonight because you didn’t have anything new to wear.  I’ve seen you crawling on the floor, playing silly games with Lyarra and Neddy, not caring what you look like simply because it makes them happy.  You’re not shallow, Sansa. 

“Thank you”, she smiled.  “I will say that New York is definitely your city.  I can’t see you in Hollywood.  It’s all about appearances there.”

“You should still tell Robb that story, though”, Jon grinned.  “Give him a laugh at my expense.”

They were prevented from talking further as the performance restarted, and as the next piece was underway Jon reflected that bringing Sansa hadn’t thus far turned out to be as awkward as he had initially worried.  On top of that, Jon enjoyed the musical side of the evening a lot more than he had tended to on previous visits to Rhaegar’s performances. 

He could only hope that their dinner was as successful.

**********

As the curtain came down on the encore, Sansa clapped happily along with the rest of the audience.  She had been very impressed with the National and made a mental note to get tickets if they were ever in LA after she returned.  A number of the pieces had been recognizable to her and they’d been played beautifully. 

Sansa gathered up her program, wrap and clutch bag and asked Jon if she could hold onto his arm again.  He rolled his eyes but held his left arm out in any case, and led her to the backstage area where the green room was located so they could await Rhaegar. 

“Thank you”, Sansa told him as they waited.  “That was a beautiful performance, and I enjoyed it a lot more than I would have with Robb whispering in my ear every half hour to ask how much longer was left.”

Jon laughed.  “That’s if he hadn’t fallen asleep.  I know he’s been busier than normal at work recently.  It isn’t healthy, the amount of hours he has to do.  That’s part of the reason I suggested I take you rather than the three of us coming together.”

“You’re a good friend to Robb.”  Sansa remembered what Jeyne had told her during their picnic in Central Park about how Jon had been the most loyal of all their friends.  “I worry about him too.”

Before Sansa could tell Jon how Jeyne had sung his praises, members of the National began to filter through and Jon peered through the crowd to try and identify his father.  Eventually, a silver-haired man Sansa estimated to be in the second half of his fifties came towards them. 

“Congratulations”, Jon said as he put his hand out to shake Rhaegar’s.  Sansa noted Rhaegar grasped Jon’s hand with both of his, but quickly turned to pay attention as Jon introduced them.

“This is Sansa.  Sansa, this is Rhaegar.”

“It’s very nice to meet you”, Sansa said politely, remembering her courtesies.  “Thank you for arranging the tickets and letting me tag along to your dinner.”

“Not at all, my dear”, Rhaegar shushed her, taking her arm and leading them out of the green room.  “As Jon himself said, it would have been rude of us to send you off home while we went out to dinner.  And you coming to dinner gave me leave to take Jon somewhere nicer than where we normally go.”

Rhaegar had arranged for a car to take them to Hobb’s.  He sat opposite Sansa for the short ride there, answering her questions on the performance, and some of the pieces she’d heard. 

She thought Jon a little quiet – a reminder of the broody teenager she had known – but then, whenever she looked over in his direction for encouragement, he was smiling. 

“Thank you for talking to him about the musical stuff”, Jon said quietly to Sansa as he helped her out of the car.  “You know far more about it than I do.”

“I dabble”, Sansa shrugged.  She smiled as Jon automatically offered his arm. Taking it, Sansa allowed Jon to lead her into the restaurant. 

As soon as they entered, the smiling head waiter came over and greeted Rhaegar by name.  They were immediately ushered through to a quiet table at the back.  Looking around her, Sansa could see why Robb had presumed Jon would go with his tux as opposed to a standard suit.

Their table was a half-circle hidden away in an alcove, and Jon immediately slipped in to the middle place.  Sansa sat next to him, opposite Rhaegar, and set her wrap and clutch down beside her. 

“The wine list”, said the head waiter as he laid small leather booklets in front of each of them. 

As she opened the list, Sansa heard Jon cough next to her.  She could see why.  Even without knowing exactly how much Jon earned, she figured there were bottles of wine on the list which cost his monthly salary and then some. 

“How about a bottle of red?” Rhaegar suggested.  “There is a nice Chilean Cabernet I’ve had a few times.”

“That’s fine with me.  And Sansa drinks red, don’t you?”  Jon replied.  Sansa nodded.

“Jon tells me you’re in town doing a new play?”  Rhaegar asked her. 

“The new Forel”, Sansa confirmed.

“I’d wanted to get back to theatre for a while but never really done anything about it.  There were a couple of other parts I’d gone for before, but the character and I never really fitted properly.  I loved _Alayne_ as soon as I read it.  We’re into our third week of rehearsals now, so there isn’t long to go before the previews.”

“I’m sure it’ll be a terrific success”, Rhaegar assured her.  The head waiter reappeared and took their drink order. 

The wine and the food, Sansa soon discovered, were fantastic.  Between the entrée and the main course, Rhaegar excused himself to go to the bathroom.  Sansa found herself wondering where the time was slipping away to. 

She rarely had a night out go so seamlessly, though there had been a couple of teething issues to start off with. 

When she’d seen the way Jon looked at her shoes, Sansa had flashed back to Joffrey’s insistence she wear flats so he was always taller than her, and Harry’s jokes about her long, long legs.  She was so used to men finding fault with what she was wearing. 

But Jon, bless him, had simply seen her shoes as a safety hazard to her feet.  Or perhaps he thought she might stamp on his feet this time and get him back for Robb’s wedding reception. 

“If he’d brought me here for a meal three years ago, I might have walked out”, Jon admitted.

“How so?”  Sansa asked as Jon topped up their wine glasses. 

“I would have seen it as him trying to buy his way into my life.  To make up for the years he missed – years in which he had no idea I even existed – by spending as much money on me as possible.  But, we’ve gotten to know each other a lot better since then.  And now, now I’ve kind of reached the stage where I really want to make an effort.  It must sound strange to you.  I know what a good man Ned is.” 

Jon looked a little bashful, and Sansa had to stop herself when she realized she’d mentally described it as adorable. 

“The two situations are completely different”, Sansa told him.  “Trust me, I know how lucky I am with my family.  But it must have been an adjustment for both of you.”

“For years, I didn’t even put a face to the man my mother refused to speak of.  Or a name.  He was simply the man who impregnated my mother.  It was almost as if he were a sperm donor – I even asked her once if that was how I was conceived.”  Sansa stifled a laugh, and apologised when it got out.

“Yeah, even I find that a little ridiculous now.  Sorry.  We should talk about other, happier things.  I keep meaning to ask when Loras is coming out to see the play.”  Sansa faltered slightly, but managed to keep her smile in place.

“We haven’t decided yet”, she shrugged.  He seemed so open and honest that she felt a little guilty lying to him.

“It depends on how the play-offs go.  You know, when he’ll be able to get time off.  The worse they do, the earlier he can fly in.  He will be in New York next weekend for a match, though I’m not sure how much we’ll get to see each other.  I think Margaery will visit with him – actually I need to text her.  We haven’t spoken in a few days, which is almost unheard of.”

Sansa hesitated.  “….Jon, I – “

Rhaegar returned to his seat, and their main course was served less than a minute later. 

In some ways, Sansa welcomed the interruption.  She’d come close to telling Jon the truth about Loras.  It would mean she didn’t need to be as careful on a Friday when Jon came over, and her brother clearly trusted him implicitly.  But, thinking back to what her mother had assumed about this evening, perhaps it was for the best.

When they began to work their way through their mains (Sansa couldn’t recall the last time she encountered such delicious food), Rhaegar cornered Sansa about Jon. 

“I’ve met your brother a couple of times, Sansa”, Rhaegar told her.  “Sadly he was loyal to a fault, and I’m hoping you’ll be less so.”

“Oh?”  Sansa was confused, but Jon soon enlightened her.

“He wants you to tell him silly stories about me when I was younger.  Robb refused – mostly, I think, because it would involve him incriminating himself given that he tended to be the brains behind our mischief.”

“Let me think”, Sansa laughed.  “There was the tree climbing incident.  I was eleven, so you and Robb must have been twelve.”

“Tree climbing incident?” Rhaegar asked.

“Yes, I remember I had a ballet recital.  I was taking summer classes at the local community centre, taught by my dance teacher.  The ballet recital was in the evening – the last two evenings at the end of the summer.  It was essentially a show Miss Septa had put together to show what everyone had learned over the six weeks.  It was a beautiful, warm August day and Robb begged my mother to take us all to Central Park.”

Sansa smiled as she heard Jon groan beside her. 

“We went, and as he was over spending the day with Robb, Jon came with us.  Rickon was a toddler, Bran and Arya kept fighting over toys…….my mother trusted the rest of us not to misbehave.  Only, Robb and Jon decided to start a tree climbing competition.  I was practicing steps for my recital, dreaming of being the best performer there, when I heard two great yelps.  Jon and Robb had both fallen from trees they were trying to jump between.  And both of them had broken their arms.”

Jon was contrite and a little red faced.  “I was lucky it was my left arm I broke rather than my right.  Robb wasn’t so lucky.”

“By the time we got back from the ER, we’d missed the recital.  I was livid.  I didn’t pay either of them any notice for months after that”, Sansa recalled. 

“If I’ve never said it before, then I’m sorry”, Jon told her.  “Robb dragged me along to other recitals you had – I’m sure you were the best performer there.”

“Thank you, but my eleven year old self is still mad at you for it”, Sansa joked. 

“My twelve year old self would probably still be looking for your sympathy – and your signature on his cast.”

“I didn’t sign Robb’s either.  I refused to on principle”, she told him.  “As mad as I was, though, it’s fun to look back on some of those times.”

“It is”, Jon agreed, almost inaudibly. 

Once they had finished eating, Sansa excused herself and went to use the bathroom and call an Uber.  She wanted to make sure Jon and Rhaegar had some time alone, and didn’t want either of them to feel obligated to see her home. 

On her way back to the table, she informed the head waiter that she was waiting on a car, and to let her know when it arrived. 

“Miss Stark, your car is here”, he told her a few moments later, when Rhaegar was discussing his forthcoming travels. 

“I called an Uber”, she explained.  “Rhaegar, thank you once again for the tickets – and for dinner.  I’ve had a lovely evening, and it was great meeting you.”

Rhaegar took her hands in his and then pressed a kiss to the back of her left hand.  “It was a delight to meet you, Sansa.  I hope we meet again – and that you’ll tell me more stories about Jon.”

“I’ll have to think of some”, Sansa promised.  She glanced at Jon, unsure how to take her leave.  A handshake seemed too stiff, and a wave too distant.  She settled for a quick hug that was over before it had even started. 

“Thank you, Jon.  I’ll see you on Friday.”

“You too”, he promised.  “Night Sansa – send me a text to let me know you made it back to the apartment safely.”

“Ever the gentleman.  Goodnight.”  Sansa may have rolled her eyes, but it gave her a warm feeling to know she was being looked after. 

Sansa gave the Uber driver the address of Robb’s apartment building, and sat back to reflect upon her evening.  All of her worries about the potential awkwardness had proven to be unfounded.  She’d had a wonderful time, listened to beautiful music and eaten a delicious dinner. 

And the company had far exceeded her expectations.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Featuring Marge, Loras and a lil' bit of Edd.......

Sansa rushed from rehearsals to meet Loras at Gage’s for lunch, incensed by her co-star’s comments. 

Petyr Baelish had been niggling away at her ever since their first day of rehearsals.  He had repeatedly asked her to join him for lunch in a manner Sansa could only describe as lecherous (Bran had grown used to becoming a regular lunch companion), had passed comment on pictures of her at Madison Square Gardens for the National Orchestra performance she’d attended with Jon, and now his snide comments had turned to Loras.

Loras had flown in the night before with his LA Galaxy team-mates for their match against New York City.  They had arranged to have lunch together after his morning training session, as she knew the team were free until late afternoon. 

Sansa would go to the match the following day with Margaery – also in town – and stay for the post-match meal with any other family members, wives and girlfriends in attendance.

Mr. Baelish had commented that after more than a month apart, he hoped Loras wouldn’t pull a muscle so close to an important match. 

“It’s great to see you!” Sansa exclaimed happily when she met Loras at their table.  She hugged and kissed him tightly.  The romantic relationship they presented to the world may have been fake, but Loras was one of her closest friends. 

“You too”, he told her as he sat down.  “This place is nice.  A little quirky.  How did you find it?”

“Bran.  I’ve been meeting him for lunch most days, and this is where he asked to meet the first day of rehearsals, so…..” Sansa shrugged.  “It’s become a little haven away from the theatre, and since rehearsals have been going so well I didn’t really want to tempt fate too much by changing my habits.”

“Garlan doesn’t shave if the team I’m with makes the play-offs”, Loras told her with a grin.  “Puts Leonette in an awkward position, because she hates him with a beard.”

“How is everyone back in LA?”  Sansa asked.  “Garlan?  Willas?  Renly?”

“Good.  Willas has a couple of horses he thinks could do well in shows.  Garlan is actually in St. Barts at the moment – he and Leonette went out for a couple of weeks with the kids to stay with grandmother.  And Renly wants to get a cat.  Well, a kitten.”

“A kitten?  Renly?”  Sansa laughed.  Loras’s agent and boyfriend had never struck Sansa as an animal person, never mind a cat person.

“Tommen’s cat – one of Tommen’s cats, rather – had a litter, and Renly wants to take one home.  I’m not sure how he plans to take care of it with all the time he spends away from home.  Most likely Brella will end up doing the hard work.” 

Brella was Renly’s housekeeper, and a young woman Sansa had a lot of time for, having seen the mess Renly’s house could get into without her.

“I was always more of a dog person”, Sansa shrugged.  She found them more loyal than cats, though she couldn’t quite explain why.

“And how are things here in New York?  Living with Robb and his munchkins driving you mad yet?”

“The opposite, actually”, said Sansa.  She smiled at the memory of Lyarra pleading with her to braid her hair that morning because Sansa’s were nicer than her mother’s.

“I’ve got so used to them being around that it’ll be strange to go back to the quiet of my house in the Hills.  And the only squabbles I’ve had with Robb were over him not letting me help out with cooking and stuff around the apartment.  Margaery’s coming over tonight for Jeyne’s Friday night chilli.”

Margaery met Sansa at the theatre, and went back to Robb’s apartment with her.  Sansa was thrilled to be reunited with her friend, though it made her realize how separated she had become from her LA life in such a short time. 

“You look good.  You look happy”, Margaery told her as they sat down in Robb’s apartment with a glass of wine while Jeyne prepared Neddy and Lyarra’s dinner. 

“So do you”, Sansa replied.  In truth, Margaery seemed the same as she’d been a little over a month ago but Sansa wanted to return the compliment.  She hoped she was as happy as she seemed.

The doorbell rang, and Sansa went to answer it to save Jeyne the trouble.  She found Jon standing on the other side, holding a bottle of red and a six-pack of beers.  “Jon!  It’s good to see you.”

Sansa smiled and ushered Jon in, before introducing him to Margaery – who had appeared behind her as if from nowhere. 

“Nice to meet you”, Margaery simpered. 

“You too”, Jon replied.  Sansa watched the two of them, and saw Jon’s face light up when Neddy and Lyarra came running towards him.

“Uncle Jon!” Lyarra shouted, as if he were a block away.  Jon lifted Neddy up, and allowed Lyarra to grab onto his leg.

“Hey, buddy”, he said to Ned.  “Princess Lya.  We having fun?”

“Daddy’s not home”, Sansa heard Lyarra tell Jon.

“He’ll be here soon”, Jon told her.  “How are we today?  How’s my brave knight and warrior princess?”

“Neddy didn’t go to Nursery”, said Lyarra.

“Neddy has a temperature”, Sansa put in, smiling at Jon as she ruffled Neddy’s curls.  “He’s not well, are you sweetling?” 

Sansa watched Jon go over to hug Jeyne with Neddy in his arms and Lyarra hanging onto his leg.  Why weren’t men in LA like this?

“My ovaries just exploded”, Margaery sighed in Sansa’s ear.  Sansa had to stop herself from nodding, because she knew what Margaery meant.  “He’s hot as hell, and great with kids.  How in the name of R’hllor have I never met this man before?!”

“Jon is Robb’s best friend”, Sansa replied.  As if that explained everything Margaery had asked about. 

“Then why in the name of the old gods and the new have you not got in there before anyone else can?”

“Are you going to appeal to every deity there is?”  Sansa laughed as she noticed Jeyne sit Neddy and Lyarra down for their evening meal.

“Just most of them” Margaery shrugged.  Sansa dragged her friend over to the sofa, where they were joined by Jon.  He topped up their wine glasses.

“Seriously, how is this man not married?!”  Margaery whispered low enough for Sansa alone to hear.

**********

Jon listened politely to Sansa’s friend Margaery talk about her upcoming appearance at Paris Fashion Week, and her planned visit to St. Barts to visit her grandmother later in the summer.

Jon figured there must be another side to Margaery Tyrell, otherwise Sansa wouldn’t be friends with her, but he hadn’t been able to locate it in the midst of her chatter. 

Jon knew Sansa and Margaery had been friends long before she’d become Loras’s girlfriend.  Sansa and Jeyne had always gotten along well, and Jon figured if she and Loras ever married then Sansa would have yet another sister-in-law she was friendly with.

He was almost relieved when he heard a shout from the kitchen area.

Jon immediately stood up and went over to the table, where he could see Jeyne completely covered in Neddy’s dinner.  Lyarra was complaining about the sight of it, and although Jon agreed with her it hardly seemed the time to say so. 

“We have such bad karma”, he heard Jeyne mutter. 

“Go put Neddy in a bath and get changed”, Jon told her.  “I’ll sort out the chilli.  Princess Lyarra can help me, can’t you?”

Lyarra seemed happy enough with that suggestion, and Jon nodded reassuringly at Jeyne.  “It hardly seems right expecting a guest to – “

“Jeyne, go and look after your sick child.  I’ll sort out dinner”, Jon said firmly.

“You can be my sous-chef”, Jon said to Lyarra.

“Sucheff?”  Lyarra asked.  Jon laughed. 

“It means you can be my kitchen helper”, he replied.  Jeyne had already done the preparation work for the chilli, and so all Jon had to do was gather up all the ingredients she had set out and cook them. 

When she had finished her own dinner, Jon turned to Lyarra solemnly.  “First off, we both need to tie our hair back.  Can you go get two hair bands?”

Lyarra returned with two pretty, pink hair bands.  Deciding this was preferable to dealing with vomit, Jon simply laughed and tied his curls back with the pink band Lyarra handed him.  He put the pan and oil on to heat, and set up a stool in front of the hob so Lyarra could see what was going on. 

“First we’re going to cook the meat”, Jon told her.  “And then we’ll add everything else.”

They worked well together, Lyarra adding the ingredients to the pan while Jon stirred.  This was how his mother had first taught him to cook as a child, and Jon smiled at the thought of her looking down on him teaching the same lessons to Lyarra.

“Do you want a turn at stirring?”  Jon asked Lyarra.  He handed her the spatula, and showed her how to move the meat around the pan. 

Robb returned home from work not long before the food was ready.  “What’s going on here, then?”

“Uncle Jon is teaching me to cook, daddy”, Lyarra told her father proudly.  Jon simply shrugged.

“Neddy was sick.  Jeyne went to get him cleaned up, so we’ve been cooking dinner – haven’t we?”  Lyarra nodded.  Robb kissed the top of his daughter’s head.  “Go and tell Auntie Sansa that dinner’s almost ready.”

“I owe you a lot more than one”, Robb sighed as Lyarra ran off to see her aunt. 

“It’s not a problem”, Jon shrugged.  “Kids get sick.”

“I’m going to go check on Jeyne and Neddy before we eat”, Robb told him.  “And I think I’m going to need a very large glass of wine with dinner.”

“Daddy?”  Lyarra had returned, and was now tugging on Robb’s suit jacket.  “Daddy, what’s a hunk?”

Jon turned his laugh into a cough as he noted the redness covering Robb’s neck.  He resisted the temptation to tease Robb by repeating Lyarra’s question.  Robb had enough on his plate at the moment and Jon figured that got him a pass on this one.

“Where did you hear that word, sweetie?”

“Auntie Sansa’s friend said Uncle Jon was a hunk”, said Lyarra.  Jon choked on his cough.  He could feel his face turn as red as Robb’s neck.  It was now Robb’s turn to look smug, and Jon prayed inwardly that Robb give him a pass in return – surely having made dinner, he had earned that?

“I think that is a talk you need to have with mummy”, Robb told his daughter seriously.  “But not tonight.  Mummy’s looking after Neddy tonight.  And…….I think it’s time for someone to go to bed.”

“Night, princess”, said Jon.  “And thank you for being such a big help.”

“Night, Uncle Jon”, Lyarra replied happily before running back over to say the same thing to Sansa. 

“Don’t…….just don’t”, Jon said to Robb.  Robb chuckled, but said nothing.   While Robb went off to put Lyarra to bed and check on Neddy, Jon added a few dashes of red wine and some oregano to the chilli. 

He’d been over at Robb and Jeyne’s enough times to know where the plates and cutlery lived.  Jon set the table for five, though he figured Jeyne would most likely be watching over Neddy for the rest of the evening. 

He chanced a glance over at the sofa, where Sansa and Margaery were giggling away about something.  There was a part of Jon that knew he should be flattered a model found him attractive, but he couldn’t deny that he found Margaery a tad shallow.  Okay, maybe a little more than a tad.  Although they’d both modelled together, Jon never found that shallowness in Sansa. 

She was different; she was _special_.

Jon stopped his thoughts there.

When Robb came back through – and confirmed Jon’s suspicions that Jeyne wouldn’t be joining them – he poured a glass of wine for both of them and called to his sister and Margaery that dinner was ready. 

“Sit down”, Robb told him.  “Bad enough you had to cook it, the least you can do is sit there and let me serve it.”

Jon rolled his eyes, and reminded Robb that they’d been friends long enough not to bother over a pan of chilli.  He was also somewhat relieved to find Sansa coming to sit next to him rather than Margaery. 

“I should have come over and helped you”, Sansa told him as she took her seat.  Jon shrugged.

“Margaery’s here to visit you, and it’s been a while since you saw any of your friends from LA.  Besides, Lyarra was an excellent sous-chef.”

“She did look like she was enjoying herself”, Sansa replied. 

“Delicious”, Margaery said from opposite him.  “You are one hell of a cook, Jon.  This is definitely the best chilli I’ve ever had.”

“That’s because you’ve never tried Jeyne’s”, Jon told her, fidgeting in his seat.    

**********

As she sat through dinner, Sansa found herself feeling increasingly uncomfortable.  Margaery was her closest friend, and Sansa loved her to bits.  She’d been loyal when many others had wavered, and Sansa would never forget that. 

But when she’d spent the best part of an hour simply ogling Jon, Sansa had started to feel a little uneasy. 

She’d hoped to spend more time chatting about those she had left behind in LA, rather than listen to Margaery ramble on about how attractive she found Robb’s best friend. 

Having got to know him a lot better in the few weeks she’d been in New York, Sansa knew this would not endear Margaery to Jon.  And yet, she stopped every time she started to tell Margaery so.  Instead, she had continued to listen to Margaery extolling his virtues and asking questions. 

“I should make a move”, Jon said not long after they’d finished their meal.  “It’s been a long week and I need to be up early tomorrow.”

“What is it tomorrow?” Sansa asked, knowing Jon would likely be spending the day shopping for his new house.  “Curtains?  Carpets?”

“Bedroom furniture”, Jon replied, turning a little red.  Sansa smiled. 

“Sounds a lot more fun than watching Loras kick a ball around”, said Margaery.

“Jon has a new house to furnish”, Sansa explained.  “He bought a brownstone in Brooklyn.”

“Brooklyn?”  Margaery wrinkled her nose.  “No, if I was going to live in New York then it would have to be in Manhattan.  I’d be too far from Fifth Avenue.  If you are leaving now, I could give you a ride?  My driver would be happy to take you home.”

“It’s fine.  I usually just take the subway.  You should stay and visit with Sansa.  I know she’s been looking forward to seeing you again.”  Sansa was a little surprised.  She must’ve mentioned Margaery’s impending visit far more often to Robb, and yet it was Jon rather than her brother who remembered her words.

Jon stood up, removed a pink hair band from his curls and set it down on the side table.  “Lyarra’s”, he mumbled.  “I’ll see you next week – hope Neddy feels better soon.”

“Thanks mate”, said Robb.  Her brother used Jon’s departure as an excuse to leave Sansa and Margaery alone to check on Neddy. 

“Leave the dishes, San.  I’ll sort them out later.  Or in the morning.”

“I’ll have to brush up on my flirting”, said Margaery when Robb was out of earshot.  “You haven’t said much about your play.  What are the other actors like?”

“Mostly alright”, Sansa shrugged. 

“There’s only one of them I really have a problem with and that’s Petyr Baelish.  He’s a bit of a lech – keeps asking me to lunch and making suggestive comments.  Urgh.  Bran now meets me for lunch virtually every day so I have a good excuse to avoid him.  Men like him are why I’m relieved everyone thinks I’m actually dating your brother.”

“At least this run isn’t too long.  If he’d joined the cast of LA Medics, I’d be starting to worry.”  Sansa nodded; she hadn’t told Margaery that she had arranged to take a sabbatical from the show.  It would lead to questions Sansa didn’t have the answers to. 

Margaery didn’t stay long after that.  They would see each other the following morning for brunch and shopping before Loras’s match.  As she watched Margaery get into her car from the apartment window, Sansa began to think about her evening. 

And, more specifically, why she hadn’t simply told Margaery that Jon wasn’t like the men she met on the modelling circuit – he cared far less about appearance.  There was a good core to him, and Sansa had witnessed it first-hand many times over during her stay in New York. 

Was it just that she felt they were incompatible, Margaery and Jon?  Or was it something more to do with Margaery’s comment ringing through her ears. 

_Why in the name of the old gods and the new have you not got in there before anyone else can?_

That was not a thought Sansa wished to address at this point, so she turned on the TV and switched over to a late night talk show. 

Sansa was curled up on the sofa, watching the end credits roll on the talk show, when Robb reappeared.  “How’s Neddy?”

“Still the same.  His temperature is down a little, but he’s puked over Jeyne another couple of times.  Warning – children come with vomit.”  Sansa laughed.

“I know that well enough after Bran, Arya and Rickon.”

“If he’s no better in the morning, I’ll give Doc. Luwin a call and see if he can get someone out to see him.  It’s probably just a virus.  They pick up germs off each other really easily at that age.”  Robb yawned.

“Robb, you must be exhausted.  Tonight isn’t the first time this week you haven’t made it home until after seven.”

“Yes, mum.”  Robb sighed.  “You’re right – I am tired.  But I need to work hard.  And once I’ve finished what I’m working on at the moment, the load will be a lot lighter.  Margaery away long?”

“She left about a half hour after Jon.”  Sansa noted a loose thread at the bottom of her top and started picking at it. 

“Speaking of Jon, when Neddy is better you owe my wife a spa day.”  Sansa was puzzled. 

“How?  I mean, I’ll treat Jeyne anytime you want.  I’ve always liked Jeyne.  But I don’t understand what Jon has to do with it.”

“It is thanks to your friend that tomorrow my sleep-deprived wife will need to sit down with Lyarra and explain to her what a hunk is.”  Sansa clapped a hand to her mouth in mortification. 

“Margaery isn’t around children much – Garlan has a couple, but he and Leonette don’t tend to get her to filter around them”, Sansa explained.  “And it could be worse.  Lyarra could have overheard Margaery saying that Jon made her ovaries explode.”

Robb choked on the water he was drinking at that, and Sansa looked at her brother a little sheepishly.  “I’ll speak to Margaery about it tomorrow.  I promise.”

“I know she’s your friend, but I’ve known Jon almost my entire life and she really doesn’t strike me as his type”, Robb told her. 

“Yeah, I figured that much out myself”, Sansa replied.  And she couldn’t see Margaery being interested in Jon more than superficially either.

“Jon’s far too low-key for Margaery, and I think he found her a little shallow.  I might not have spent much time with Jon growing up, but I think I’ve come to know him well enough over the last few weeks to realize he has absolutely no interest in Margaery beyond common politeness.  And I’m sorry about dinner – you’ve had a long and crappy week at work and you have a sick child.  Her spending the entire meal flirting with Jon really annoyed me too.”

**********

“You’re back early”, Edd observed as Jon walked in the door. 

“Neddy was sick, so I figured I was best leaving Robb and Jeyne to it.”  _Also I wanted to escape the flirty model like a complete coward_.

“All kids do is shit and spew.  Not sure why people are so keen to have them.”  Edd poured himself a coffee.

“Because one day, they turn into positive, the glass is half full people like you”, Jon grinned.  He would miss Edd’s interesting brand of humour when he moved to Brooklyn.  “Anyone else in?”

“Grenn’s over at Violet’s, and Pyp is working overtime.”

“Just you and me, then.  You watching anything on TV?”

“Nope.  All doom, gloom, death and destruction.”  Jon shrugged, but turned it on anyway and switched over to a late night talk show. 

In truth, Jon would have stayed later had it not been for Margaery Tyrell’s presence.  He and Sansa were friendly enough now that he would have chatted to her for a while before returning home to Edd’s moroseness. 

A couple of months ago, Jon would never have said Sansa Stark was his friend – he would have said she was the _sister of his friend_ – now, however, he felt she was very much that and he looked forward to seeing her every Friday as much as he did Robb, Jeyne and the children.

Jon even hoped she’d keep in touch when she returned to LA when her play reached the end of its run.

“I think I’m going to go to bed”, Jon sighed after a while.  The talk show wasn’t holding his interest, and Edd wasn’t particularly chatty this evening.

Jon went through to his half-packed bedroom, and turned on the TV in there while he changed into the t-shirt and shorts he normally slept in.  He flicked through the channels and came across a movie he vaguely recognized.  Jon removed his glasses, and propped himself up in bed with his pillows. 

It didn’t take long for him to realize why the movie looked familiar – it was one of Sansa’s, and Jon could remember Robb dragging him along to the movie theatre to watch it.  He pressed the info button on the remote, and the synopsis confirmed Jon’s suspicions it was a few years old. 

Feeling a little weird watching one of Sansa’s movies now he knew her better, Jon switched the TV off and decided the universe was telling him to go to sleep.

He turned onto his side, closed his eyes, and willed sleep to come.

The following morning, Jon woke, showered and dressed before anyone else surfaced.  He grabbed a couple of pieces of toast for breakfast, and then headed out to an old furniture store his mother had always used. 

Harclay Home Furniture was a family business his mother had come across around fifteen years before, and Jon had continued her patronage.  The specialized in one-off pieces and Jon liked the idea of furniture he alone owned.

“Is Ronnel around?”  Jon asked the young boy at the front of the store.  Jon figured he was around sixteen, probably working a Saturday job.

“I’ll go get him for you”, said the boy.  “Who should I say is looking for him?”

“I’m Jon Snow.  He used to know my mother, Lyanna – she came here quite a lot.”  While the boy went off to find Ronnel Harclay, Jon had a look around at the pieces on display. 

He preferred lighter woods to darker – something Dany had tried to turn him round on over the last few weeks – because they brightened up the room. 

His mother had never passed on her artistic talent, but she had always drilled it into Jon that rooms should be light and airy.  Which clashed with some of what Dany advised. 

“Jon?  You look more and more like Lyanna every time I see you!”  Ronnel Harclay greeted him warmly and shook his hand.  “Redecorating?”

“No.  I bought a place in Brooklyn and I need to furnish it.  I was looking at some of the wardrobes and bedside cabinets.  How are you?”

“Fine, fine.  Business is going well.  Here, let me take you round some of the displays.  Your mother always favoured the lighter woods.”  Jon nodded, and looked at a wardrobe which had been sanded and then painted a distressed white. 

“I like this one”, Jon said, running his fingers along the edge.  “It has an antique look, but if I know you it was built around a week or two ago.”

“It was”, Ronnel confirmed.  Jon spotted a matching set of bedside cabinets and chest of drawers.  He imagined them in the room he’d picked out as his own, maybe painted in the duck egg blue that he’d liked from Dany’s samples. 

“I’ll take these”, he told Ronnel. 

Jon also picked out a plain, light oak set for the spare bedroom and a work table with matching book case for the small room he planned to turn into a sort of study for weekends when the demands of his job forced him to work from home.  Finally, he selected a coffee table for his sitting room and an entertainment centre for his TV. 

“Wow”, Ronnel whistled when they’d finished.  “This is quite a haul.  We’ll throw in the delivery for free.  Come over to my desk and we’ll sort out all the admin stuff.”

Jon filled out the necessary forms and paid for the furniture, due to be delivered the first Saturday after the building work was completed.  Trying to imagine the pieces he’d bought actually sitting in his new home, it struck Jon more than ever that this move was really happening.

“Thanks again”, Jon told Ronnel as he left the furniture store. 

Walking down the street in the direction of the nearest subway stop, Jon pulled out his phone and typed a text to Sansa. 

_I know you’re really busy today, but I was wondering if Neddy was feeling any better?  Didn’t want to bother Robb or Jeyne.  Hope you enjoy yourself shopping.  Jon._

Jon knew she had brunch and shopping planned with Margaery, so he put his phone straight back into his pocket and decided to stop off at Sam and Gilly’s on the way back to his apartment.  He’d barely walked half a block when he heard his phone go off.

_Don’t worry, you’re not bothering me.  I’m hardly doing anything taxing today!  Neddy spewed a lot after you left and during the night, but his temperature is down this morning.  If he can keep down some food, Jeyne says they’ll hold off on phoning Doc. Luwin as it is most likely a 48 hour thing he picked up at nursery.  Your cooking lesson made a great impression on Lyarra – she offered to make me breakfast this morning!  Hope you manage to find something you like for the new house.  See you again soon, Sansa._

Jon grinned, and sent back a quick message to thank her for letting him know, and to tell her about the furniture he’d picked out. 

That started off a chain of messages which lasted until Jon reached his apartment, by which time he realized his intention was to visit Sam and Gilly.


	9. Chapter 9

Sansa looked between the two pairs of shoes she’d tried on and failed to pick one over the other.  The black ones would go with most of the clothes she’d brought with her from LA, but the blue ones were close to the colour of her eyes. 

She looked up at the sales girl and took in a deep breath.  “I’ll take them both.” 

If it came to it, she could always buy another suitcase for her return trip to LA.  Looking at the shopping bags around her, Sansa figured she was pretty much halfway to needing one already.  She put the ballet pumps she’d worn for her shopping trip back on, and followed the sales girl to the register. 

“That’ll be four hundred and eighteen dollars”, the girl chirped. 

Sansa handed over her credit card, and reminded herself that she hadn’t really been shopping since leaving LA – other than the trip to Macy’s the previous weekend with Margaery, and she’d only bought herself a new scarf then so Sansa reasoned it hadn’t really counted. 

As she walked out of the store, Sansa’s phone rang and she was reminded of the trigger for this destructive use of her credit card. 

“Hi, Brienne”, she answered. 

“Morning Sansa.  I’m sorry – I’ve called the editor and the owner of the magazine and given them both a piece of my mind for publishing that story without even calling me to confirm!”

“It isn’t your fault”, Sansa sighed.  In hindsight, she should have figured that questions of this nature would arise at some point.  “Should we issue a statement?”

“If you want me to, I can draft one.  Is there anything in particular you want to say, or do you want me to waffle?”

“Flat, full-out denial”, Sansa huffed.  “In capital letters.  I am not engaged!” 

It was moments like this, Sansa was relieved her parents knew her relationship with Loras was fake.  She couldn’t imagine the hurt her mother would have felt opening up a magazine to read about her eldest daughter’s engagement without hearing of it from her first. 

A huge part of Sansa’s own anger had been with how blind-sighted she’d been. 

After meeting her mother for lunch, she’d returned to rehearsals for their afternoon session to find a smug Petyr Baelish asking to see her ring and passing on his congratulations.  When it became clear Sansa had no understanding of what he was talking about, he had pointed to a magazine article just published online which alleged Loras’s trip to New York the previous weekend had resulted in their engagement.

“If we’re too tough in our statement, there is a chance they’ll turn round and start printing stories about how you and Loras are on the brink of a break-up.”   

Sansa felt the urge to say she thought they might be, but thought better of it.  The proper person for her to speak to about this was Loras, wasn’t it?

“Fine.  Just go for waffle then – very happy together, but not quite in that place.  No immediate plans.  Something like that.”  Sansa chewed on her lip. 

“I’ll get it typed up and e-mailed to you within the hour, and we’ll release upon your approval”, Brienne assured her.  “How are rehearsals going?  I won’t be able to fly out for the first night of previews – I have a meeting in LA the following morning that I can’t get out of – but I won’t be far behind.”

“They’re going great”, Sansa enthused.  “I’m really happy I decided to do this.  It was definitely the right move.”

“I’m pleased to hear it.  Now, I better go and start drafting your statement.  Speak to you soon.  Bye.”

“Bye.”  Sansa hung up the phone, feeling a little relieved. 

She put her phone back in her pocket, and tightened her grip on the multitude of shopping bags she’d gathered about her.  Remembering her promise to Robb, Sansa decided her stop at the homeware store a block away would be her last one before heading back to the apartment. 

She could spend the afternoon watching a DVD with Lyarra and Neddy, or bake some lemon cookies with them. 

The thought of her niece’s sudden desire to learn how to cook made Sansa smile.  She’d spent most of the last week begging her mother to teach her more, and Jeyne had teasingly told Jon the night before that it was all his fault.

She found the electrical section of the homeware store easily enough, and resisted the temptation to buy the pretty, neon pink toaster for her brother’s kitchen. 

The décor in the apartment reflected both Robb and Jeyne’s individual tastes, but Sansa decided in the end that this toaster was a little too girly for even Jeyne’s liking.  She picked a plain silver one, and took it to the counter. 

Sansa was on her way out of the shop when she spotted a head of dark black curls hovering around a selection of vases.

“Something for the new house?”  Sansa asked with a nudge.  Jon turned and smiled widely at her. 

“No.  Anniversary present for Sam and Gilly, actually.  I’m a bit low on inspiration, but Gilly always likes to have fresh flowers in the apartment so I figured a new vase might be an idea”, he replied.  “And you?”

“Robb’s toaster is on the blink.  When I said I was going shopping, he asked me to pick up a new one”, Sansa explained.  “I thought you said you were going out to Brooklyn today to check on the house?”

“Already been.  That’s the kitchen and bathroom all fitted, and I’ve arranged for the furniture to get delivered next Saturday.  Dany’s got a painter and decorator friend – somebody Mopatis? – and he’s going to get the painting done during the week.”

“Wow”, Sansa smiled.  “It’s all coming together.  You should have a housewarming when everything’s sorted out.”

“I’m planning to.  You should come with Robb and Jeyne.”

“I’d like that.”   

“I’m pretty much ready to give up.  I think I’ll see if I can find a glassware company to get Sam and Gilly’s present.  Maybe I can get something with the date of their wedding put on it.  Listen, it’s almost lunchtime – do you want to go grab something to eat?  There are some decent restaurants around here.  If you’re not busy, I mean”, Jon finished in a mumble that Sansa knew she shouldn’t find cute. 

“Um, there’s a place Dany takes me sometimes – Astapor.  If you’d like, we could go there.”

“I’m not too busy.  Lead the way”, Sansa told him. 

“Yeah, first we need to do something about this bag situation.  Here – give me a few of them.  I’d feel a little weird walking down the street with you laden like a packhorse and me with my hands in my pockets.”

“Sure.”  Sansa handed over a few of the bags, but Jon ended up taking all but two.  He led her out of the store and a couple of blocks away.  As they walked, he asked what she’d bought and Sansa shamefully described her loot.  She also pointed out that she’d picked up new outfits for Lyarra and Neddy as a treat. 

“Here we are”, said Jon when they reached the restaurant.  He ushered her inside, where they were met by a waiter who recognized him immediately. 

“Mr. Jon”, the waiter smiled.  “It has been too long!  And you are here without Ms. Targaryen today.”

“I am”, Jon agreed.  “Could we have a table for two, please?”

“Of course.  If you would like to follow me.”  Sansa and Jon followed him through to a quiet, slightly closed off area that Jon told her a few moments later was the part of the restaurant Dany was always seated in.

“I can see why she likes to come here”, said Sansa.  Aside from the privacy afforded those eating in this part of the restaurant, it was cheerily decorated and the staff seemed very friendly. 

“Would you like to share a bottle of wine?  The red I usually get here is nice.  It’s a lot like the one you bought Robb a few weeks ago.”

“You mean the one we helped Robb drink?”  Sansa laughed.  Her brother had taken a small glass, and Sansa and Jon the rest.  Jon nodded, and scratched the back of his neck.

“To be fair, he did offer it to us.”  When the waiter returned, Jon ordered the wine and waited patiently as she perused the menu.  Sansa apologized, but Jon was having none of it.

“Not your fault I’m so predictable and unadventurous.  I usually switch around between the same few dishes instead of trying something new.  A bit boring, but at least it means I know I’ll like what I order.”

“Boring is not a word I would use to describe you”, Sansa told him.  She had come to know Jon well over the last few weeks, and boring was one thing Jon was not.  Interesting.  Smart.  Kind.  Generous.  Funny, but in a self-deprecating sort of way.  He wasn’t arrogant about it.  Humble.  Handsome.

A little part of Sansa surprised herself at that last one, but then she remembered the week before and Margaery’s constant ogling.  She knew Jon Snow was attractive.  Putting that thought to the back of her mind, Sansa paid more attention to her menu than was strictly necessary. 

“Your wine.”  The waiter had returned.  He set the bottle between them, and poured a little into each glass.  “Would you like to order now, or wait a few moments?”

“We’ll order now, thank you”, said Sansa.  “I’ll have the Caesar wrap.”

“Beef ciabatta, with mayo rather than horseradish sauce”, Jon added.  “And a bowl of spicy straw fries for the table, please.”

“Of course.”  The waiter took their menus and left. 

“Those fries are amazing”, Jon told her.  “Daario ordered a portion once, but Dany ate all of it so he and I had to get a second to split.”  Sansa laughed. 

“You really get on, don’t you?  Is that weird?  I mean I know she’s your aunt, but all those years you didn’t know each other.  Sorry, am I being wildly intrusive?”  _Nosy_ , Sansa told herself.  What you are being is _nosy_.  But Jon just laughed.

“I guess it is a little weird to outsiders, but we just clicked in a sort of friend way.  I think of her as a sister more than an aunt.  Which I guess is also a little weird.  I get along best with Dany and my half-sister, Rhae.  My half-brother Aegon…..he’s found it a little more difficult to deal with Rhaegar having a child with a woman who wasn’t his mother.  I can’t judge him for it either.  It took me a long while to accept Rhaegar being around.”

“Still, after all those years it must be nice to find a whole other family.”

“It was.  I mean, nobody could or would ever replace my mother.  But it’s been great to explore other family relationships.  I actually got really close to my grandmother before she died.  Rhaella was pretty cool.  She and Dany were very alike.”

“I take my family for granted sometimes, I think”, Sansa admitted.  “Take it for granted that they’ll always be at the other end of the phone when I need something.  I don’t call anywhere near often enough, and I don’t visit enough either.”

“It can be hard when you’re separated by an entire continent.  I’ve been trying a lot harder with Rhaegar recently, and I really feel like it’s starting to pay off”, Jon told her. 

“We talk a lot more than we used to.  He’s….he’s even spoken about my mother a couple of times and he never used to do that.  When you go back to LA, you could make a weekly date to video call people.  Even if it’s just for half an hour to chat about nonsense.”

“I could”, Sansa reasoned.  She made video calls on special occasions, but it would be nice to actually see her family more often – even if it was on her laptop screen.  Though at the same time, Sansa worried seeing them so often would make her think even more about where home was. 

“Sorry – I have to deal with this.  Sorry”, Sansa muttered as she flicked through something on her phone. 

**********

Jon looked at her with a furrowed brow. 

She’d been agitated the night before with some tabloid story, and had spent a while on the phone with her mother.  And then he’d bumped into her at the homeware store with enough shopping to sink the Titanic.  Jon knew from Robb she shopped when nervous. 

It was called retail _therapy_ for a reason.

Jon sat quietly and checked his own phone, but he’d had no texts or e-mails come through since the last time he’d done so on the subway. 

“Sansa, are you alright?”  Jon asked when she’d finished on her phone.

“I – “

“One Caesar wrap……”  Their food had arrived. 

“I’m sorry about that”, Sansa told him when the waiter had left.  Jon topped up their wine. 

“Don’t worry about it.  I’m as guilty as the next person of spending too much time on my phone”, he admitted.

“My agent called when I was buying two new pairs of shoes I don’t really need”, Sansa chuckled.  “She said she’d send me something through and I wanted to get back to her.  She’s working on a Saturday because of me.  Replying right away seemed the least I could do.”

“I know Robb’s stressed out with work and……everything……” _Like the pregnancy he still hasn’t mentioned._   “And you probably don’t want to worry your parents, and Loras is on the other side of the country, along with all your friends, but if you want someone to talk to then you don’t need to bottle it up.  You can talk to me.  If you, you know, if you want to”, Jon finished with a mumble. 

He paid a great deal of attention to the straw fries, until he heard Sansa release a deep sigh.  “I hope that all of my friends aren’t on the other side of the country.  I hope that one of them is sitting opposite me, eating far too many of the straw fries I want to try.”

Jon looked up and saw her smiling softly at him.  He returned her smile, and pushed the plate of fries over onto her side of the table.  Sansa seemed to be struggling with something, but eventually nodded.

“Not here, though”, she told him.  “I can’t air my – there are things I don’t really want to say where they can be overheard by strangers.”

“Okay”, Jon nodded.  He did a quick calculation on the habits of his roommates.  “My apartment isn’t too far from here.  We could go and get coffee there after we’ve eaten, and then after we’ve had a chat you can call an Uber to take you and your shopping home.”

“Deal”, said Sansa. 

They chatted about nothing of consequence for the remainder of the meal.  It was a little over a week until the previews of her play started, and Sansa told Jon she could reserve a ticket for him if he wanted to come along with her family.  Jon discussed as much as he could the case he was working on for Mormont, and Sansa asked if Jon was coming to the party her parents were planning for their anniversary (he was).

Jon asked for and paid the check when Sansa went to the bathroom.  She wasn’t too happy with him when she returned, but Jon insisted that he’d been the one to invite her to lunch.  He picked up the bags he’d carried to Astapor for her, and led the way out of the restaurant and to his apartment.

“Hello?”  Jon called when he unlocked the door.  Green was meant to be in Atlantic City with his girlfriend for the weekend and Pyp and Edd were both rostered on, but it wouldn’t be the first time Jon had returned home to find one of them there unexpectedly. 

Nobody replied, so Jon set down Sansa’s bags and put the kettle on to boil.  “So you have coffee the old fashioned way, then?” Sansa teased. 

“Yep.  No fancy coffee machine with seven different settings that I have no clue how to use”, Jon confirmed.  “Let me see if I can remember – black, one sugar?”

“You have a good memory.” Sansa sat down on the sofa, and waited for him.  Jon could see her fidgeting with her phone, and wondered what had her so worried. 

When the coffees were ready, Jon went over to sit next to her. “So……”

“You’ll think it’s stupid, and in a way I guess it is.  I don’t know, in the end maybe it’s all my own fault”, Sansa sighed. 

“Sansa, there’s clearly something bothering you.  If it’s worrying you that much, then whatever it is isn’t stupid.  And I highly doubt it’s your own fault.” 

Sansa was smart – always had been – but Jon figured that somewhere between Joffrey Baratheon, Harry Hardyng and the cut-throat nature of the industry she worked in, Sansa had forgotten that.

“It all started on my birthday.  I went out for dinner with Loras and Margaery and a few of our other friends, and when I got home I couldn’t help but think it had looked so perfect.  It was the kind of night out you see on Instagram and Facebook.  Look at us, and how happy we all are.” 

Sansa set down her phone, and looked up at him.

“And all I could think of was how it was a lie.  My life seems perfect from the outside, I know – a great job and a great boyfriend.  But it’s a lie.”  Jon could tell she was trying not to cry, so he moved a little closer and took her hand in his.  Sansa smiled weakly. 

“You’re a really good person, Jon.  So many people I know in Hollywood would see your job as a PR exercise; a way of looking as if you’re a good public servant before running for office.  Either that or they’d think you were insane for turning down the money we both know you could make from private practice.”  Jon shifted a little uncomfortably in his seat.

“In Hollywood, I think we all live a little bit of a lie.  And I’d started to believe some of it.  Well, the career part anyway.  I decided that night I wanted to do something different and not just fall in with what was expected of me.  I was telling the truth last night, when I said I’m not engaged to Loras.”

“I believe you, Sansa”, Jon assured her.  “You don’t have to marry someone if you’re not ready.  It takes time.  I was with Val for three years, on and off, and I’m not sure she’ll ever be ready to marry and have children.”

“I do want to marry and have children.  Someone in the family has to keep up with Robb and Jeyne, after all.  But it won’t be Loras.  It couldn’t ever be Loras.”  Jon wondered if Sansa had come to New York to work through her feelings for Loras as well as to freshen up her career.

“Just because a relationship doesn’t work out – Sansa it doesn’t make either of you a failure.  And sometimes it can be better to make a fresh start if both of you know that, in the end, you’re not compatible.” 

That was how he had ended it with Ygritte and Val.  He’d loved them both once, but had always known they were freer spirits than he was.  They were uninterested in the quiet, stable, family life he ultimately wanted.  The life he’d spoken of with Val the night they’d separated for good.

“Robb and Jeyne know, as do the rest of the family.  I can tell you because I know you’d never betray my trust on this.”  Jon smiled at that.  He’d grown closer to Sansa over the last few weeks, and it touched him that she sensed it too. 

“Technically speaking, I’m single.  And I have been ever since Harry sodding Hardyng.”  Jon was confused, and must have looked it. 

“We have an arrangement, Loras and I.  It was Margaery’s idea.  I was complaining to her about the reporters following me everywhere, writing silly stories about every man I ever encountered.  They even ran one about my supposed new beau – you know who it was?  Uncle Edmure.  He was visiting on business and I met him for dinner.”

“Margaery suggested you two have a fake relationship so the gutter press would stop speculating”, Jon realized.  Had she developed real feelings for Loras now?  As much as he didn’t want to admit it to himself, Jon wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about that. 

“Yep.  It’s fairly simple, really.  Loras and I go to restaurants publicly every so often, and stay over at each other’s houses.  But we don’t share anything more risqué than a bucket of popcorn or a tub of ice cream.  Mostly, we watch old movies.  Loras is a good friend, nothing more.  And he needed some cover as much as I did.  Jon – you really can’t tell anyone this next part.”

“I promise.”

“Loras – he – he is seeing someone, but it isn’t the kind of relationship he can have in the open.  It wouldn’t go well for him if everyone found out he was sleeping with his agent.  His very _male_ agent.”

“Oh.”  Jon was surprised.  But then, he’d always thought Sansa and Loras’s relationship was genuine – why would it cross his mind that Loras was gay?

“The thing is that I don’t want to do this anymore.  I feel like I’m living a lie, that I’ve become some sort of fake.”

“I don’t think you’re fake or shallow or anything like that”, Jon told her honestly.  “You’re smart and kind and you love your friends and family.  Not everyone would do what you have for Loras.”

“It wasn’t completely out of the goodness of my own heart.  I did it mostly to get the press off my back about dating again.  But now I’m finally in a place where I need more in my life than what I have, and I can’t quite grasp it.  How I felt yesterday decided it for me.  I want to tell Loras and Margaery that our arrangement should come to an end.  I want to live the truth.  My parents have been – I know my mother isn’t happy with the arrangement I have with Loras.  She saw advantages to it short-term, but now I think she sees it as a barrier to having more grand-children.”

“She wants you to be happy, as any parent does”, Jon told her.  “And most likely she’s picked up on you being unsure of continuing on as you have been.”

“You’re right.  How are you always right, Jon?”  Sansa asked.  She let go of his hand and picked up her mug of coffee, cradling it in her hands. 

“I’m not always right”, Jon replied.  He mimicked Sansa, wanting to warm up his hands from the heat of his favourite Captain Phasma mug. 

“Thank you for listening”, Sansa told him with a smile. 

“It’s just, everything you said about Robb being stressed and not wanting to worry my parents aside, I think I needed to speak to someone who would be neutral.  Someone who didn’t know the truth already.  Someone I could trust just to listen, because I think a part of me made this decision about Loras before I even left LA.”

“It’s fine.”  Jon mumbled as he fidgeted with his coffee mug.  “You can always talk to me, Sansa.  It’s what friends are for, right?”

Once they’d finished their coffees, Sansa booked an Uber.  Jon made a point of carrying most of her shopping bags down to the car for her.  “I hope Robb likes his new toaster.”

When he went back upstairs, Jon tidied up the coffee cups and decided to spend the remainder of his day packing up the last of his belongings.  As he’d told Sansa, his furniture would be arriving at the new house the following weekend. 

Packing what was left into boxes, Jon let his thoughts stray to Sansa.    


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An early update, but I couldn't resist it! Thank you so much for the love you've all given this fic! I think it might be time for someone to verbally acknowledge something to themselves.......
> 
> (Also, Robb's kids are cute btw!)

Sansa tried to breathe normally as she walked into Robb’s building.  She walked up the stairs.  _Breathe in.  Breathe out.  Breathe in.  Breathe out._  

It was ridiculous, given how well the penultimate rehearsal had gone, but actors were a superstitious lot and the saying went that a bad dress rehearsal meant a good opening performance.  Sansa could only hope that the opposite would not be proven true on Monday when previews started.

She opened Robb’s front door.  _Breathe in.  Breathe out.  Breathe in.  Breathe out._  

Sansa glanced around the apartment.  She could see Jeyne giving Lyarra and Neddy dinner, while Jon sat on the sofa with a newspaper.  Robb, as had been the case far too often recently, had not yet returned. 

Sansa said a quick hello to everyone else, before going over to join Jon. 

“Hey”, he smiled at her, setting his newspaper aside. 

“I didn’t think anyone read actual, live newspapers anymore”, Sansa told him.  “I thought we all just read our news online.”

“I like looking at print every so often”, Jon shrugged.  “How are you?  How were rehearsals today?”

_Breathe in.  Breathe out.  Breathe in.  Breathe out._

“Sansa?  Sansa, are you alright?”  In an instant, she could see Jon kneeling down in front of her with a worried look on his face. 

“Fine”, she whispered. 

“No, you’re not fine.”  Jon sighed.  He took her hands in his.  “Put your head between your legs.”

Sansa looked at him suspiciously.  What in all seven hells?

“I took a first aid course that summer I coached sports at a camp upstate”, Jon told her.  “Put your head in between your legs and count to ten.”

Reluctantly, Sansa did as he asked.  “Now count to ten again.”  She did so.  Then he had her list ten states, ten writers and ten colours.

“Is this a school lesson?” she asked after the last one. 

“You’re breathing better now”, he told her.  “Head up.”

“Wow.”  She felt dizzy; almost as if she had run up several flights of stairs. 

“Two seconds”, Jon told her.  “I’m going to go get you a glass of water.” 

Sansa watched as Jon went over to the fridge and took out a bottle of water.  She saw him say something to Jeyne as he poured out a glass for her. 

“Here you are.”  Sansa drank the water, and immediately felt better for it. 

“What was that?”

“A very mild anxiety attack.  You’re nervous about Monday, I take it?” Sansa nodded. 

“It’s been a while since I did live theatre”, she explained.  “If I flub my lines or whatever on a TV or movie set, the director can call ‘cut’ and we go again.  Live, there are no second chances.  Only reviews saying I am completely out of my depth.”

“You’re not out of your depth”, Jon told her.  He took the empty glass from her hands and laid it down on the coffee table, before taking her hands in his again. 

“I’ve seen LA Medics, and Robb has made me go with him to see almost all your movies – plus he made me go to more ballet and dance recitals when we were growing up than I can remember.  Even then, it was clear you were going to be a star.  You have a talent, and come Monday everyone there is going to see it.  Including me.  If it makes it any easier, just block out everyone else in that theatre and focus on the seats you’ve got for your friends and family.  Their reviews are the only ones that really matter.”

Sansa nodded, feeling a little overwhelmed and not quite sure what to say.  Why did Jon Snow have to be so damn perfect all the time?  Luckily, Jeyne came over to check she was alright. 

“I’m fine”, she sighed.  “I just got a little freaked out about Monday.  Sorry if I scared you.”

“You didn’t”, Jeyne assured her. 

“Auntie Sansa!” Lyarra appeared beside them.  “Are you alright?  Uncle Jon was looking after you.”

“I am alright”, Sansa reassured her.  She did not add it was _because_ Jon had been looking after her. 

“Do you know what I think would make Auntie Sansa feel a lot better than alright?” Jon said to Lyarra.  “A big Lyarra and Neddy hug.”

As her niece and nephew threw their arms around her, Sansa held them tightly and wondered again why Jon Snow had to be so damn, bloody perfect. 

“Why don’t we play a game?” Jon suggested when Lyarra and Neddy had finished hugging her.  “We could play sets?”

“Sets?” Sansa asked, confused, as Lyarra and Neddy readily agreed. 

“A card game”, Jon explained.  “We set up a deck of cards face down, and you have to try and pick two the same.  Two kings or queens or aces or whatever.  How about teams?”

“Lyarra, would you like to be on my team?” Sansa asked.  “We can play girls against boys.  Girl power!” 

“Girl power!” Lyarra agreed.  Jon went off to speak to Jeyne – no doubt to ask for a deck of cards – and Sansa found herself regretting that this was her last Friday night like this.  A week from now, she would be at the theatre. 

This was her last Friday night dinner with Robb, Jeyne and Jon – until just before she left for LA, at least.  She had grown so used to the weekly ritual that it would be a hole in her schedule. 

Sansa didn’t want to think too much on why that would be the case. 

**********

Jon sat down on the floor, and shuffled the deck of cards extensively before setting them out in thirteen rows of four.  He set Neddy down beside him, and whispered a reminder on the rules of the game to his godson. 

“Team Neddy!” Jon said when they were ready to start, and raised his hand for Neddy to high-five him.

“Team Neddy!” his godson repeated. 

“Ladies first”, said Jon.  He watched as Sansa let Lyarra pick out two cards – a king and a seven.  “Our turn, Neddy.  Pick two cards, and we’ll see if they’re the same.”

Neddy picked out a four and a two.

The game had been going on for around twenty minutes by the time Robb returned from work.  Jon and Neddy had found seven sets, Sansa and Lyarra eight. 

“High five, Neddy!” Jon exclaimed when he picked out two jacks.  Neddy jumped up excitedly. 

“What’s going on here, then?” Robb asked as he ruffled Lyarra and Neddy’s curls. 

As Lyarra explained to her father what game they were playing, Jon caught Sansa’s eye and smiled.  He hoped the game had distracted her and calmed her somewhat.  He hated to think of Sansa being so convinced something would go wrong.  Jon couldn’t see how Sansa didn’t understand she was pretty much perfect. 

The game, thankfully, ended in a draw not long before Jeyne put Lyarra and Neddy to bed.  Jon sat back up on the sofa next to Sansa, and asked her if she was feeling any better. 

“I am.  Sorry about before.  I was just being silly, I think, and – “ Jon interrupted her.

“Sansa, you weren’t being silly.  We all get a bit stressed out about work sometimes.”

“Dinner!” Jeyne called.  Jon followed Sansa to the table and took his now-usual seat next to her.  She had fitted into their routine Friday night dinners so easily that disappointment struck Jon when he realized this was their last one before her play started. 

She’d be spending future Friday nights on stage rather than discussing her week with him, Robb and Jeyne.

“I am really looking forward to tomorrow”, Jeyne sighed as she sat down.  “Six whole hours with grown-ups, being completely pampered.  It will be like heaven.  Thank you, Sansa!”

“What’s this?” Jon asked.

“Sansa’s giving me a spa day tomorrow”, Jeyne told him.  “And I can’t WAIT! Thank you so much, Sansa.”

“Don’t worry about it”, she shrugged. 

“You going too?” Jon asked Robb.

“Can’t.  Someone has to watch Lyarra and Neddy”, Robb replied through a full mouth of chilli.  “Sadly there won’t be evidence of me getting my nails painted or legs waxed or whatever the hell it is that goes on at these places.”

“Mum recommended the spa, so I’m sure it’ll be good”, said Sansa.  She turned to Jon.  “What time is your furniture getting delivered?”

“I bought from more than one company, so I’ve got it spread through the day.  I didn’t want them all coming at once, because it would end up with me telling them the wrong room to leave stuff in and my bedroom furniture would be in the dining room and…….well, you get the idea.  I have a list somewhere in the apartment and another on my phone.  The first delivery timeslot starts at ten, so I’ll need to head over to Brooklyn early”, he replied. 

He intended to get fully moved in over the next two weekends, and couldn’t wait to spend his first night in the new house.

It had been weeks since he’d picked up the small set of keys from the realtor, and Jon couldn’t believe how close he was to finally living in his own home. 

“Dany helping you tomorrow?” Robb asked.  Jon shook his head. 

“She’s gone to Paris with Daario for a few days.  Their anniversary is coming up, and it was the only weekend she could fit into her schedule”, Jon told him.  It would give him a chance to get everything set up in the house before his aunt came to visit. 

“Listen, before I forget again, Robb has your ticket for Monday night”, Sansa told him.  “You’ll all be seated together.  I meant to tell you earlier.”

“That’s fine.  And thanks again for inviting me.”  He smiled at her.  Jon knew Sansa only had a limited number of free tickets at her disposal. 

“Don’t worry about it.”

Although he had to be up early the following morning, Jon found himself lingering at Robb’s later than he normally did.  Sansa was his friend now, and he would miss seeing her every Friday when he turned up for chilli. 

Jon wasn’t the most sociable man on the planet – he had a small group of close friends, but very few casual acquaintances.  His policy had always been quality over quantity. 

“I can’t believe our final Friday dinner is over”, Sansa said softly when Jon finally stood up to leave. 

“It isn’t the last supper, Sansa”, joked Robb.  “We will have other meals.”

“I meant that from now on, I’ll be at the theatre on Friday evenings and not here eating chilli with all of you”, she retorted, nudging his arm. 

Jon felt a little better as he realized he wasn’t the only one feeling a tad wistful.  Sansa may only have been in New York a matter of weeks, but she had become a fixture in their lives in that time.  In Jon’s life.

“We’ll have to make up for it somehow”, Jon found himself saying.  “Anyway, I should get going.”

“Bye, Jon.  I hope everything goes alright tomorrow”, said Jeyne. 

“Thanks.  Enjoy your spa day, both of you.  Robb, try not to destroy the apartment when you’re left alone.”

“Ha bloody ha.”

“Good luck with your final rehearsal on Sunday”, he said to Sansa as she walked him to the door.  “Not that you need luck as such.  You’ll be amazing.  See you on Monday night.”

“Thank you, Jon.  See you Monday”, she replied.  Jon smiled at her, waved back at Robb and Jeyne, and left.   

**********

“This is bliss”, Jeyne sighed from the lounger off to Sansa’s right.  “I can’t remember the last time I did this.  Probably the last time my sister came to visit, and that wasn’t long after we moved to New York.”

“I try to go once every couple of months out in LA”, Sansa told her.  “At least every couple of months.  There’s a good one around a half hour drive up the coast.”

They’d arrived at the spa a little after ten, and Sansa had immediately dragged Jeyne off for a neck massage to ease their tension.  A number of other treatments had followed, before Sansa had taken up Robb’s suggestion from the night before and requested a pedicure to complete their program. 

Now they were sitting on loungers by the heated indoor pool and Jacuzzi, sipping fresh fruit juice.  Champagne had been offered, but Jeyne’s pregnancy meant she couldn’t drink it and Sansa felt it selfish not to join her. 

“It feels like I’ve been here a lot longer than I have”, Sansa admitted.  It had been eight weeks since she’d flown into JFK, but Sansa had slipped into this New York life so seamlessly it could easily have been eight months. 

She had become accustomed to being woken early by her niece and nephew, to the hustle and bustle of the New York streets, to having her family around her so much, and to the routine she had of rehearsals, dinners and going back to an apartment that didn’t feel as empty as her house in LA did. 

“And is that a good thing or a bad one?” Jeyne asked her. 

“Both”, Sansa replied.  “It means I made the right decision to take this job and to stay with you.  But it means I’m going to miss everyone even more when I go back to LA.”

“Back to LA? Shouldn’t that be back home?”

“I was born in New York and I lived here more than half my life.  It’s still home.”  It would always be home.  LA was simply somewhere she lived, and it had taken her this extended trip back to New York to realize it. 

Since she’d moved out to LA after her Performing Arts studies, Sansa had never spent more than a fortnight together in New York – her LA Medics schedule had never allowed for it, and she spent her breaks from the show filming parts in movies.  For some reason, she’d never taken on a job based in New York before.

Perhaps a small part of her had always known it would force her to confront the homesickness she felt in LA.

“Will Margaery and Loras be in town for long?” Jeyne asked.  Sansa shook her head.

“He has training first thing on Tuesday, and Margaery has a job in San Diego on Wednesday, so she asked her grandmother for the family jet.  They’ll fly in Monday afternoon, get ready at a hotel, and fly back out a couple of hours after the play”, Sansa told her.  She took a deep inward breath.  She intended to speak to Loras about ending their arrangement.  Speaking to him now, in person, was the right thing to do. 

She had it all figured out – when she returned to LA, they could simply say that their time apart made them realize they were better off as loving friends than as a couple.  No harm, no foul.  They would continue to meet up as friends as they always had. 

Sansa would have a few weeks grace, and then she would repeatedly read stories about her next conquest.  But, unlike the aftermath of her separation from Harry, Sansa was now in a place where she felt ready to date again. 

“Please don’t take this the wrong way, because I do like your friend, but part of me is relieved she isn’t coming to the apartment again”, said Jeyne. 

“Though maybe we should be given a chance to make up for her having to see me covered in Neddy’s vomit.  But at least it means I don’t have to have an awkward conversation with Lyarra.  It feels like she’s too young to be thinking about boys.”

Sansa snorted.  “If Robb has his way, she won’t be thinking about them until she’s at least thirty – and perhaps not even then.  He has a super-protective streak.”

“I’ve seen it in action”, laughed Jeyne.  “Though he doesn’t seem to be that bad with Arya.”

“Arya is a fitness instructor specializing in mixed martial arts.  She can take care of herself and anyone within seven city blocks”, said Sansa.  “If Gendry ever pulled a stunt like the ones some of my exes have pulled on me, he wouldn’t be able to walk for a fortnight.  And even then it wouldn’t be comfortable.”

“It’s decided then”, Jeyne sighed as she turned on her side to face Sansa.  “Arya vetoes any boy Lyarra brings home.”

“Robb would agree to that.  I suspect a fifteen year old Lyarra would not.”

“Fifteen”, Jeyne groaned.  “She isn’t ever allowed to get that old.  It would make me old.”

“I remember when she was born”, said Sansa wistfully. 

“This cute little thing with fine red hair and baby blue eyes.  I completely fell in love with her.  I’ve – you have no idea how amazing it’s been for me to spend so much time with her, and with Neddy, over the last few weeks.  I’m definitely going to be around more from now on.”

“We look forward to seeing more of you.  All five of us.”  Jeyne patted her stomach lightly. 

“Robb’s going to tell Jon.  He says he thinks Jon already knows anyway.  With your parents’ anniversary coming up, we don’t want to steal their thunder.  We’ll wait until after the party to tell them.  Thanks for not saying anything – not that we thought you would, it’s just that with what happened before we wanted to be careful.”

“You’re past three months now”, said Sansa. 

“I know.  Luckily for some reason I tend not to show until I’m around four-ish.  So I have about three weeks until people start looking at me funny”, she laughed. 

“Will you find out if it’s a boy or a girl?”  Sansa asked.

“No.  We didn’t before, and I like the surprise.  There are so few of them in life.”

“Eight weeks ago I would have found it weird that you’d tell Jon before the family”, Sansa admitted.  “I’d probably even have been indignant about it on their behalf.  But now, I know he is like family to you.  Lyarra and Neddy see him a lot more than they see me or Arya or Rickon.  Even Bran.”

_I can see why you trust him.  I can see why you love him._

“I like that the two of you have become friends”, said Jeyne.  “Of course, it’s made things a lot easier, with him coming over every week.  But you and Jon are both people who deserve only good things – and good friends is one of them.”

“I agree”, smiled Sansa. 

**********

As the Harclay driver got back into their delivery van, Jon shouted to him to say hello to Ronnel.  The first delivery of the day was complete, and Jon went back inside to revel in the fact that he actually had furniture in his new house.  It had been left empty for a while before Jon bought it, so he had only ever seen it bare. 

It somehow made it feel more of a home to see his new things inside it.

Jon went through to his shiny new kitchen and filled the kettle, deciding he deserved a cup of coffee.  He looked up at the clock Daenerys had persuaded him was necessary.  It had been one of many compromises, and read ten forty-five.  Daenerys had insisted he have a clock, and Jon had agreed on the proviso that he could pick it.  His inner geek had come out, and Jon had wandered home with a Jedi clock. 

Ten forty-five.  He figured Jeyne and Sansa would be at the spa by now.  Jeyne would have few opportunities over the next few months to have a day like this, he reasoned.  He tried and failed to avoid thinking of Sansa.  Jon had found himself thinking about his new friend far too much recently. 

It was also strange, he thought, to think of someone he had known for pretty much twenty-five years as being a new friend. 

And Sansa was just…….no, nope, not going to think about her.  Jon watched the kettle boil.

He was pulled out of trying to avoid thoughts of Sansa by a knock at the door.  Figuring one of his new neighbours had decided to stop by – either that or the person delivering his sofa was a good hour and a bit early – Jon went to answer it.

“Surprise!” Robb, Lyarra and Neddy shouted when Jon opened the door.

“We went on the train, Uncle Jon!” Lyarra exclaimed, before running into the house. 

“Figured you might as well get used to them coming over and messing up your new house”, Robb shrugged.  He set Neddy – who was trying to jump out of his arms – down on the ground, and let him follow his sister. 

“Jeyne told you not to get your place into a mess while she was out more like”, Jon joked.  “Come in.”

He closed the door behind Robb, and led him through to the kitchen.  “Are they alright to just run around?”

Jon nodded.  “As long as they stay downstairs.  Neddy might fall down them or something.”

“Stay downstairs!” Robb yelled.  While he went to locate his children and make sure they’d heard him, Jon grabbed a second mug and poured coffee granules into the two of them. 

“Coffee.”  Jon handed the mug to Robb when he returned. 

“Thanks.”  Robb took a drink.  “Gods, that is good.  We left before I could get a good cup to myself this morning.  We brought lunch, by the way.  And disposable paper plates.  When I told Lyarra the other day that you were moving to a new house she said she wanted to see it, so I figured we could come over on an outing.”

“You’re all welcome over whenever”, Jon shrugged.  He’d always been welcome at Robb’s, from the first time Robb had invited him over after school when they were five.  And Robb would always be welcome in his home.  

“It’s nice.”

“It’ll look even better when I’ve finished with it.  You know, had all the furniture delivered and moved in all my rubbish.”  He’d almost said crap, and wondered if Jeyne’s swear jar extended to other people’s houses.

“Sansa said she spoke to you”, Robb sighed.  “About the thing with Loras?”

“Yeah.”  Jon felt a little uncomfortable.  Almost as if he were breaking a confidence.  “I think she just wanted a fresh perspective or something.”

“As long as it was just that.  I know she’s twenty-eight years old, but Sansa’s still my kid sister.  I don’t want her to think that even with whatever I have going on that I don’t have time for her.”

“She knows”, Jon assured him.  Sansa had mentioned her worries about Robb’s working hours more than once, and her desire to avoid adding her troubles to his.  But then she’d also said her family had already made up their minds on what she should do regarding Loras.

“I wish she would just end this stupid agreement.  I think she would have well before now if she wasn’t such good friends with Margaery.  And Loras, I guess.  I mean, I feel for the guy.  But people in his line of work being bigots is not a reason for Sansa to be stuck in a place where she can’t meet someone for herself.  He’s seeing someone, but she can’t.  Well, I suppose she could.  But it wouldn’t be honest.”

“And it wouldn’t be Sansa”, Jon mumbled.  He thought about what she said…….how her life was like a lie and how much she hated that.

“Exactly”, Robb agreed.  “Anyways, thanks for looking after her.  I know the two of you never really spent much time together when we were growing up.”

“I don’t think we had much in common back then”, Jon said thoughtfully.  He’d considered this a lot recently. 

“People change, evolve over time.  I think we’ve grown and changed enough that we do have things in common now.  And we have different ways of looking at people than we did five or ten years ago.”

Jon wasn’t sure the Sansa of ten years ago would have thought him cool enough.  Okay, maybe she’d been _a bit_ shallow then.  But there had still been more to her than that.  She’d always loved her family, for starters. 

“I’m going to miss her when she goes back to LA”, Robb admitted.  “And the kids have got used to her being around much more.  Especially Lyarra – they sit around and watch Disney movies together.”

“I’m sure everyone will miss her”, Jon replied.  He knew he would.  She had only become a real part of his life eight weeks before, but Jon already knew there would be a hole in it when Sansa returned to LA. 

“It’s a shame about the timing, too”, sighed Robb. 

“Oh?”

“Jeyne’s pregnant again – but you can’t tell anyone.  We aren’t telling mum and dad until after their anniversary.  Don’t want to be thunder stealers and all that.  Sansa knows because she’s living with us, and it would’ve been obvious anyway.”

“Congratulations”, Jon smiled.  He hugged Robb tightly.  Jon was one of the few people who knew about the miscarriage Jeyne and Robb had suffered a few months earlier.  “Three, huh?”

“Someone has to give my parents grandchildren”, Robb shrugged.  “Can you imagine Arya having a child?  Or, gods, the spawn of Rickon?”

Jon laughed.  “That’s her three months now, then?”

“Yeah”, Robb nodded.  “How did – “

“Gilly once told me you should never say anything before three months – think that was when she was expecting Aemon – and, for future reference, if you and Jeyne want to hide a pregnancy then make sure nobody else realizes she always craves pineapple.” Robb looked surprised. 

“You went on and on about it when we were studying for exams when she was pregnant with Lyarra.  Something about having to go to three or four grocery stores one night looking for them.  Sansa told me one time I was over that she’d bought Jeyne pineapple.  It’s the only time you ever have it in the apartment.”

“I thought you’d probably figured it out, but I didn’t realize it was that obvious.  Listen, I was wondering, are you still looking for blind dates?” Jon shrugged, unsure how to answer.  “Jeyne’s sister has a friend, Cerissa Brax, just moved to the city.  If you wanted me to ask about setting you up?”

“Nah, you’re alright”, said Jon.  “I think I should concentrate on work and the house for the moment.  And the two I went on recently were not good.  So perhaps it’d be for the best if I stay away from that for a while.”

_Also, I think I have a crush on your sister._


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Featuring Arya, Loras and Flirty Marge.....

Jon had arranged to meet Robb and Jeyne at their apartment, and to go on to the Eyrie Theatre from there. 

He’d had a hectic day at work writing up a petition for the Rayder case, but had made it back to the apartment he wasn’t fully moved out of for a shower and change of clothes. 

“Is this a fancy thing like a movie premiere?”  Jon asked.  He’d just changed into a clean suit, but Jeyne was dressed up as if she were going to a wedding.

“No, not really”, Jeyne reassured him.  “It’s just that I won’t get to wear this again for a while. Taking advantage of it while I still can.”

“I can’t actually remember the last time I went to see a play”, Jon admitted. 

“I don’t get out enough to see one”, Jeyne snorted as she tidied up a few of Lyarra and Neddy’s toys.  One of her neighbours, an elderly woman named Nan, would be babysitting.  “Hollywood has started making movies for children that are also appealing to adults.  The theatre world should follow their lead.”

“Can you imagine that, though?”  Jon started to pick a few things up to give her a hand.  “Screaming children during the middle of a live performance.”

“I didn’t say my idea was full proof.”  The doorbell went. “That should be Nan, Jon.  Could you get it please?”

Jon opened the door to find a smiling, elderly woman with knitting needles in her hand and a workbag on her shoulder.  She looked like something out of a movie from the ‘40s.  “Nan, right?  I’m Jon.  Jeyne said for you to just come on in.”

“Nan!” Jeyne exclaimed as she reappeared with Robb, both of them ready to leave.  “Thank you again for doing this.  They’re both in bed and asleep.  They tend not to wake up, so you should have an easy night of it.”

“We need to get going.  Sansa will be mortified if we wander in late”, said Robb.  The three of them hurried downstairs and into a cab.  

Jon spent the trip to the theatre hoping Sansa liked the flowers he’d sent. 

He had called Rhaegar on Saturday afternoon and talked about his new house, as well as Rhaegar’s tour.  When Jon had mentioned Sansa’s play, Rhaegar had told him it was tradition to send flowers to the cast on opening night.  Jon had then arranged for a bouquet to be delivered to her dressing room. 

The flower shop had a number of choices, but Jon had eventually opted for his mother’s favourite. 

“Wow”, Jon breathed when they got there.  He wasn’t sure if it was Sansa’s name or if this was a matter of course for all Broadway shows, but there were cameramen and TV crews outside the theatre.  Jon was in awe of Sansa for putting up with this circus just to do a job she loved.

As complete unknowns, Jon, Robb and Jeyne were able to sneak past the assembled press with ease.  Inside, they soon met up with the rest of Sansa’s invited guests.  Jon stood back as Robb embraced his parents.

“Good to see you, Jon”, said Ned as he shook Jon’s hand.

“You too.  I got your invitation for the party – thanks for inviting me.”

“If I have to put up with the boring old men I used to work with, I think we’ll manage with you”, Ned told him, twinkle in the eye.  “Robb said you got promotion recently.  Congratulations.”

“I wouldn’t necessarily call it promotion.  More of a sideways move”, Jon shrugged.  “But a good one.  I’m working on appeals cases; means I have more input on a small number of cases rather than jumping from one to another.”

It also meant that Jon spent less time visiting various precincts, so he hadn’t seen Val in weeks.  Initially it had made it easier for him to stay away from her, but Jon now had his repressed feelings for Sansa for that.

“Frown face!” Jon heard a shout from behind him, and turned to see a grinning Arya heading for him.  She hugged Jon tightly, and then punched him in the shoulder.

“Oww!” Jon exclaimed, rubbing said shoulder.  Arya had always possessed a strength that belied her height and stature.  “What was that for?”

“You haven’t been in touch much recently”, she informed him.  “Found someone or something more interesting?”

“Work’s been busy”, Jon told her, feeling guilt seep into his bones.  He and Arya had always been good friends.  “And then there’s the house.  Dany’s had me shopping either by myself or with her most weekends, picking out furniture and stuff.  You should come over and visit when I’m settled.  You both should.  Hey, Gendry.”

Jon turned and shook the hand of Arya’s boyfriend. 

While Robb had whined about most of Sansa’s boyfriends, he had never said a word against Gendry.  When Jon had asked him about it once, over a couple of beers, Robb had simply shrugged and said that Arya could defend herself better than any of them – and if Gendry was willing to put up with a woman as strong as Arya, he was worth it.

“Urgh, time for the Plastics”, sighed Arya.  Jon turned and saw Margaery walking towards them with Loras on her arm.  Jon groaned inwardly at the sight of them.  Loras he had no problems with (particularly given what Sansa had said to him about the reality of their relationship) but he’d never really made it clear to Margaery that he wasn’t interested in her. 

Jon hoped she wouldn’t use this as an excuse to flirt with him again.  If nothing else, Margaery was one of Sansa’s closest friends and he didn’t want to put Sansa in an awkward position.

“It’s lovely to see you all again!” Margaery enthused when she reached them, and Jon remembered with a sinking heart that Sansa had mentioned all of her guests would be seated together. 

“Loras, I don’t think you’ve met Jon – I did when we were last in New York.  He is friends with Robb, aren’t you?”

“I am”, Jon confirmed politely.  “Since we were five, actually.  It’s nice to meet you.  Sansa has spoken of you.”

“You too.  Though it’s Margaery that’s spoken of you, rather than Sansa”, Loras smirked.  Jon groaned inwardly.  “You’re a lawyer, right?”

“I am.  Sansa said you were only able to fly in for the preview because of work commitments?”

“Yeah.  I have an early training session tomorrow”, Loras confirmed. 

As the lights appeared to be dimming, it seemed time to find their seats.  Margaery turned to Jon and patted his arm.  “Why don’t you sit with me? We never really got a chance to get to know each other properly the last time we met.  All I learned was that you are a fiend in the kitchen.”

“I already promised Arya”, he said, blurting out the first name that came into his head.  “And Gendry.”

Jon turned to offer Arya a glare that made it clear she should agree with what he said, hoping that her reluctance at the sight of Margaery meant she would back him up. “He did promise us.  We haven’t seen Jon in ages.”

“Thank you”, Jon mouthed to Arya as they settled down. 

“You owe me”, was the mouthed reply.  That wasn’t good, but it was better than spending two hours next to Margaery Tyrell in which she would, no doubt, repeatedly attempt to flirt with him if past experience was anything to go by. 

“I’ll explain later”, Jon whispered as the lights completely went out and the curtain was raised.  Jon turned his attention to the stage. 

Jon was mesmerized throughout the performance.  It was one thing watching a movie or TV show, but seeing her perform live reminded Jon how much talent Sansa possessed. 

She was in almost every scene, and he wondered at how astounding her memory must be to remember all of her lines.  When he appeared in court on behalf of a client, Jon always had written statements in front of him that had been prepared and redrafted numerous times. 

When the cast appeared together on stage at the end of the performance, an intensely biased part of Jon figured the loudest cheers were for Sansa. 

He thought back to Friday and the nerves she had displayed at Robb and Jeyne’s.  None of that was present tonight – she was beaming widely, and Jon hoped this had given her the confidence boost she deserved. 

“What was that about earlier with Margaery?” Arya asked softly. 

There was enough commotion to cover their conversation as everyone gathered their things about them.  Jon gave her an abbreviated run-down of his previous meeting with Margaery.  Knowing Arya’s playful and teasing nature, he left out what Lyarra had overheard. 

“Urgh”, sighed Arya.  “I know she’s been a good friend to Sansa and all, but she isn’t someone I would spend time with.  She thinks too much about how things look rather than how they really are, and she values money far too highly.  Most people who’ve always had it usually do.”

“Because you’ve been a pauper all your life”, Gendry snorted.

“No, but I earn what I spend through hard work.  I don’t get photographed for a living or fly around on grandmother’s private jet.  Everything I own, I earned fair and square and you know it.”

“I do, Stark.”  Gendry looked at her softly, and Jon felt a little like he was intruding on a quiet moment between them.  Robb suddenly appeared.

“Are you coming back with us?” he asked Jon.  “Sansa said for us all to come backstage for a few drinks and something to eat, to celebrate the opening night.”

Jon nodded.  “Sounds good.” 

He chatted to Arya and Gendry while he waited to go backstage with everyone else, and listened to her describe a new fitness program she was working on.  In turn, he showed her pictures of his new house taken over the weekend – now fully complete with furniture. 

“When are you moving the last of your stuff in?” Gendry asked him.

“Next weekend”, Jon replied.  It would be strange, living alone, but a step he was more than ready for.  He had outgrown roommates, and getting his own apartment had been on the cards long before Rhaella had left him enough money in her will to buy his own. 

Thinking on what Arya had said about money earned through hard work, Jon felt a little uncomfortable.  He knew Arya didn’t mean anything by it, but the fact remained his new home had been bought with his grandmother’s legacy. 

“Come on.” Jon felt Robb’s nudge as he walked past, and started to move.  He hoped Sansa had liked the flowers.  And that Rhaegar hadn’t sent anything too ostentatious.

When they went through to a large room backstage, Jon could see that some tables had been set up with glasses of wine and snacks. 

A number of actors in the production seemed to have guests, and Jon took them in as he hung back to allow Sansa time to share this moment with her family.  And her fake boyfriend.  Jon noted Loras keeping up appearances by hugging Sansa tightly as soon as her parents had done so.

“You were magnificent, sweetheart”, Jon heard Catelyn say to her daughter. 

“Are you busy later?” Margaery had found him. 

“Uh, probably.  I’m going home soon.  I have work tomorrow”, Jon told her.  “I thought Sansa said you’d be flying out tonight?”

“We are, but our hotel rooms are rented until tomorrow morning in case there are any problems with the jet.  We could get out of here quickly and I could still make my flight.” 

Jon thought back to his hormonal fifteen year old self and knew he would never have believed then that a professional model would one day proposition him.

“Margaery, you’re obviously a really great friend to Sansa.  And you seem like a nice person.  But, I’m not into one night stands.”  _Or sleeping with models working to a strict timeframe_.  “I don’t think we’d be very compatible.  I’m actually quite boring.”

Margaery made a non-committal shrug.  “No harm done.  I figured it was at least worth a try.  And thank you.”

“For what?” Jon was puzzled.

“Most of the time, do you honestly think men say no to me?  They don’t.  They take what they want.  You didn’t – you could have slept with me and made me think you might want something more, but you were honest.  Sansa was right.  You’re one of the good guys.”  Jon’s ears perked up at the mention of Sansa’s name, but he said nothing. 

**********

“Jon!” Sansa exclaimed.  She’d noticed him out of the corner of her eye when Robb had hugged her.  Sansa could see Margaery trying her luck again, and found herself hoping nothing came of it.  She and Jon were so different, and the only outcome Sansa could see was Jon getting hurt.

She indicated for him to come over, and Margaery followed behind.  She hugged him quickly. 

“Thank you for the flowers you sent.  They were so beautiful!  You must give me Rhaegar’s contact information so I can send him a thank you card.  It was so sweet of him.  We’ve only met once.”

“Flowers?” Robb asked.  Sansa nodded.

“Jon sent me the most beautiful blue roses I have ever seen.  And a dozen calla lilies came from Rhaegar.”  Sansa smiled softly at the confused look on her brother’s face. 

“Why?”

“When I told him I was coming this evening, Rhaegar said it was tradition to send flowers on the opening night”, Jon shrugged.  “He wanted to send you some as well, so I gave him the name of the theatre.  I hope it was alright for me to send them.”

Jon looked a little bashful, as if he’d made some sort of mistake, and Sansa wanted to scream from the rooftops that he had done nothing wrong.  She’d never known a man as thoughtful as Jon. 

“Of course it was alright for you to send them.  As I said, they were beautiful.  Which flower shop did you get them from?”

“Oh, one Gilly recommended”, he told her.  “She loves fresh flowers; always has, Sam says.  I – I liked the play.  I have no idea how you manage to remember all those lines and what to do, and…….yeah, it was great.”  He coughed and scratched the back of his neck nervously. 

“Sansa, my wonderful girl!” Varys came over and took her hands in his.  “You were fabulous! I spoke to a couple of critics and warned them that if they say even the smallest thing against you, they will incur a lifetime of my displeasure.”

“You’re too kind”, she told him.  “Besides, it was a team effort.”

“Perhaps, but you were certainly the star of the show.”  Varys spent the next few minutes complimenting her performance before moving on. 

Sansa could see her family and friends had congregated close to the buffet, and had to laugh.  Leave it to the Starks to be able to track down the food easy enough.  On the outskirts of the group were Margaery and Loras, who were chatting quietly together. 

Sansa took in a deep breath and went over to them.  Margaery hugged her tightly.  “Darling, you were as fabulous as I knew you would be and then some.  Definitely the star of the show.”

“Thank you for coming tonight.  It’s a long way to travel just to see a show.”

“Well, we think you’re worth it”, Margaery told her firmly.  Sansa turned to Loras.

“Could we talk for a few minutes?  My dressing room is nearby and private.”  Loras nodded, and she led him through the corridor to a room with her name on it.  Sansa ushered Loras in and indicated for him to sit on the small sofa while she sat herself down on the make-up chair.

For all their romantic relationship was fake, Loras was a close friend and Sansa didn’t want to hurt him.  They had come into this arrangement with open eyes, and she hoped they would leave it in the same frame of mind.  Neither of them were sexually attracted to the other, and Sansa hoped Loras would understand she had moved on in the last year.

“Do you remember my birthday dinner?” Sansa began.  Loras nodded.  “When I went home after it, I thought about how perfect it seemed to everyone else in the restaurant.  And then I thought about how much of a lie that was.  How most of it wasn’t really true.”

“You mean us?” Loras asked. 

“Partly.  Mostly.  I’m ready to date again, and I want it to be real”, she told him.  “It kills me that you and Renly can’t do that.  But, if I meet someone, then I can.”

“I’m lonely”, Sansa admitted aloud.  She had never thought about it much, but it was true.  And it had taken the fullness of her life in New York for her to realize it.  “I am surrounded by friends – and here by my family – and yet I feel I’m missing something.  When I come back to LA, I’d like us to go through a break-up.”

“Can we have fun with the media over it?” Loras grinned.  “You know Margaery can spin it so we both come out of it looking good.”

“You’re alright with this?”  Sansa bit her lip.

“You are my friend and I love you.  I want you to be happy.  This arrangement took some heat off us both at a time when we needed it, but I didn’t expect you to hide away and spend the rest of my career pretending to be my girlfriend just so nobody would figure out I’m gay.” Sansa let out a sigh she hadn’t realized she was holding in. 

“I figured we could say that our time apart made us see we were better off as just friends”, said Sansa.  Loras nodded.

“Sounds fine to me.  By the time you’re back in LA, Margaery will have countless dates lined up for you.” Sansa nodded, but she wasn’t sure she wanted a Hollywood romance any longer.  Joffrey and Harry had both been in the business, and both had come close to leaving her broken. 

“Come on, Stark, let’s go back.”  Loras held out his hand and grabbed hers.  He used the other one to loosen his tie a little.  “Got to put on a show for them, make them think we’ve been christening your dressing room.”

Sansa laughed as she followed Loras back down the corridor, feeling a lot lighter.

At the end of the night, Sansa took a taxi back to the apartment with Robb and Jeyne.  She felt a little guilty as Jeyne yawned.  Her pregnancy was sending her to bed early most nights. 

Also stuffed into the taxi with them were the flowers she’d been sent by Jon and Rhaegar.  Sansa had thought about leaving them in her dressing room but decided against it.  She wanted to make sure they were safe from cleaners, and be able to smell their freshness when she woke up in the morning.

Remembering her desire to send Rhaegar a card, Sansa realized Jon hadn’t given her the contact information she needed.  While an exhausted Jeyne leaned into Robb’s shoulder, Sansa pulled out her phone and sent Jon a text message.

_In a taxi back to the apartment surrounded by my beautiful flowers, and just realized I didn’t get Rhaegar’s contact details from you.  Do you know where he is at the moment, so I can have a card sent to his hotel?  Or I could text/phone if you could give me his number.  Thanks again.  Sansa._

She hit send, figuring Jon might still be awake.  He had left not long after Margaery and Loras.  When they parted Margaery told her that although he had turned her down, she thought cloning Jon might be a good idea.  Sansa was relieved her friend’s comments had gone no further.

She had barely replaced her phone in her bag when she heard the familiar ping to indicate a new message had been received.

_He’s in Denver tonight, and I think San Diego in a couple of days.  I’m not sure of the hotels so maybe you’re better with a text.  I’ll send his number over.  You were fantastic tonight, Sansa – knew you could do it!  Jon._

Sansa smiled softly to herself, recalling the mumbling, panicking mess she’d been only three nights before.  And how Jon had helped her through it. 

Once again she found herself wondering why she had never noticed him before.  The quiet, steady boy who had always been so loyal to her brother and been through both school and college with him.  Jon was a fixture in her house growing up, but she had never paid him the same attention as Arya or Bran or Rickon. 

And she was starting to really regret that.

When they arrived back at the apartment building, Robb paid the driver and then helped Sansa carry her flowers.  After thanking Nan, Jeyne excused herself and went straight to bed.  Sansa hoped she would be able to stay in bed a little later than normal in the morning but immediately dismissed the idea as wishful thinking. 

If nothing else, she could have an early night for most of the rest of the week. 

“Do you have any spare vases?” Sansa asked Robb.  He nodded, and pulled a couple of plain, glass ones from a cupboard.  “Thank you.”

Sansa set herself to organizing the flowers while Robb got them both a bottle of water from the fridge. 

“Thank you for coming tonight.  I know Jeyne’s really tired at the moment and you have a lot going on work-wise, but it meant a lot to have my family there with me.  I was so nervous when I walked on to the stage at the beginning – it feels like forever since I did live theatre – but then I saw all of you, and it calmed me.” 

She had taken Jon’s advice and focused solely on the people in the audience who had come to support her.  Support.  Not judge or critique. 

“Of course we were there to support you”, Robb shrugged.  “Besides, when have you ever known me to turn down a freebie?”

“Hmmm, never.  Well, aside from that time at NYU when they were giving away free tampons.  You didn’t take any of them.”

“I’m a guy.  Those things are only useful when I have a nosebleed.”  Sansa laughed. 

“I spoke to Loras.  About ending our arrangement.”

“How did it go?”

“Good.  Better than good, actually.  He was really understanding.  I think – I think I wanted to end it a lot longer than I realized.  I don’t think I know myself very well.”

“You do”, Robb reassured her.  “You just need to trust your own judgement a bit more.  You aren’t going to leave the flowers out here, are you?  If you do, Neddy and Lyarra will only end up knocking over the vases.”

“I was going to put them in my room”, said Sansa.  She did not add that she wanted to be able to see them when she woke up in the morning.  Especially the roses. 

When Jon had come to say goodnight to her before he left, Sansa had thanked him again for the flowers and asked why he’d chosen the blue roses.  _They were my mother’s favourite_.  That had touched Sansa, and made the gift all the more precious. 

She checked herself.  Given free rein, her thoughts often turned to Jon Snow of late.  It had been so long since she’d made a new friend. 

Sansa knew she would miss him when her run in _Alayne_ ended and she had to return to LA.  Equally, now that she had been part of the tradition, Sansa knew her mind would wander on Friday nights and find itself in Robb and Jeyne’s kitchen eating chilli and listening to how everyone had spent their week. 

She promised herself more trips to New York.

She promised herself more Friday night chilli.   

She promised herself more Jon Snow.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the lovely comments and feedback! :)

Jon got ready for Ned and Catelyn Stark’s anniversary party with the sound of both Robb and Alliser Thorne’s laughter ringing in his ears.  It was the only sound permeating his new home. 

A new New York magazine had released their first edition only a few days before, and it had included an article on eligible young legal professionals to watch out for.  Sadly for him, Jon had been one of those included on the list. 

He had no idea beforehand that he would be one of those mentioned (though apparently one of his superiors had sanctioned it) and it had absolutely mortified him when Thorne had started quoting verbatim from the article in the middle of the staff coffee area.

_The love child of famed musician Rhaegar Targaryen and bohemian artist Lyanna Snow, he has forged a far more conventional path for himself in the legal world.  Having turned down numerous approaches from top-tier criminal defence firms in the north-east, Jon Snow has spent the entirety of his legal career working for the PD’s Office._

_As a state-appointed attorney, he has participated in a number of well-publicized cases for which he has been applauded._

_Following long-term relationships with a fellow law student and a highly respected police officer, Jon Snow is currently single and living in Brooklyn._

_Jon Snow is also the nephew of celebrity interior designer Daenerys Targaryen._

Jon cringed at the memory of it. He had removed himself as quickly as possible from the group of people gathered around Thorne and spent the remainder of the day enclosed in his office.  The only three people permitted entry were his secretary, Mormont, and Sam.

He could have coped with the embarrassment if it had only been Thorne, but when he went over to Robb and Jeyne’s sanctuary of an apartment for Friday night chilli, it had started up again.  Robb read through the article and teased him, albeit light-heartedly, about the contents. 

Although he could never compare Robb’s friendly ribs to the taunting of Thorne, Jon couldn’t help but wish that his friend had never seen the thing – or, better yet, that it had never been written in the first place. 

Jon put on his recently dry-cleaned suit, and headed for the subway.  If there was one downside to his new home, it was the lack of proximity to his workplace and to those he spent time with outside of it.  Okay, that was more like two downsides, Jon reasoned.  He took the subway to a block and a bit away from Ned and Catelyn Stark’s townhouse.  The gift he’d purchased sat on the seat next to him. 

When Jon had found a glassware company who made pretty vases, he had not only purchased one for Sam and Gilly’s anniversary, but one for Mr. and Mrs. Stark.  In both cases, Jon had requested an engraving on the side of the vase stating the date on which the respective couples were married. 

This particular vase was wrapped in silver tissue paper decorated in butterflies, and Jon had a small card in his suit pocket.  He hoped Ned and Catelyn liked the gift. 

When he reached the house, he found Ned and Catelyn standing in a sort of receiving line at the door, with Robb and Sansa stood next to them.  Clearly, as the eldest two Stark offspring, they had been commandeered as greeters.  Jon hugged both of them, before shaking hands with Ned and Catelyn. 

He handed over the present he’d bought them, and repeated once again his thanks for the invitation. 

Jon tried not to think too much about how stunning Sansa looked.  She seemed to have decided against wearing the dress from Rhaegar’s concert, and instead was dressed in a simple black gown.  Her hair was pinned back and the colour and style made Jon think instantly of autumn.

Jon realized just how much he had missed her each of the Fridays she’d been at the theatre when he visited Robb and Jeyne, and hoped to spend some time speaking to her later that evening. 

As he moved further into the house, Jon soon found Arya and Jeyne. 

“I’m not entirely sure when I last saw you in a skirt or dress”, Jon told Arya as he hugged her tightly. 

“Mum”, she grumbled.  “She nagged, and then she had Sansa call to nag some more.  They both threatened to take me shopping if I didn’t find something I liked on my own.”  Jon figured that _threatened_ actually meant _offered_ , and nodded.

“Where’s Gendry tonight?” Jon asked.  Arya rarely came to family events without him, and Jon knew how fond of him Mr. and Mrs. Stark were.

“Couldn’t get the time off work.  It’s a race weekend.”  Gendry was a mechanic for one of the top motor racing teams.  “But, that means I get to spend more time with you guys!  What is new in the world of Jon?”

“Nothing more than what I told you at Sansa’s opening night”, Jon said honestly.  “Other than Rhae is coming to visit.  Well, she’s going to be in town for a work conference, and I’ll get to see her while she’s here.”

Jon was quite sure that if Aegon’s work brought him to New York, he would arrive and leave the city without Jon ever knowing about it.  Rhaenys, on the other hand, possessed an unconditional love of family that Daenerys had once said was inherited from her late mother. 

Jon hadn’t seen Rhae for almost a year.  Not since she’d come to visit Daenerys the previous summer.  He kept promising himself a trip to New Orleans to surprise her, but it never quite seemed to happen.

“How about you?  How are you getting on with that new workout thingy you were telling me about?” Jon asked.

“Good.  I’ve started teaching some classes with it.  Gendry keeps telling me I should get someone in to film it and release DVDs and stuff.”

“You should”, Jon encouraged. 

“Definitely”, Jeyne agreed.  “I don’t have time to go to a gym, but if I put on exercise DVDs then I can work out in the house.  Lyarra and Neddy usually join in.  Mostly by jumping around.”

“Nan watching them again tonight?” Jon asked.  Jeyne nodded.  “A good neighbour.  I’ve still to meet most of mine.”

“You got used to the peace and quiet yet?” Arya asked him. 

“Nope”, Jon replied.  “I’ve never really lived alone.  I’d love to get a dog, but with the hours I’m working at the moment I don’t really think it would be fair.”

After all the complaining he’d done over the years about his roommates making noise and wanting more of his own space, Jon missed having someone to chat to at the end of the day.  A dog would be someone to come home to. 

“Lyarra wants one, and she seems to sense Robb is more likely to cave on it than I am”, said Jeyne. 

“Smart girl that one”, said Arya.  “She might look a lot like Sansa, but she does take after me.  I could always tell which parent it was best to ask for something.  I’m going to go get another drink – either of you two want one?”

“I will”, said Jon, but Jeyne shook her head.  Arya left them, and Jon took a quick moment to glance around the room.  He figured Sansa and Robb must still be greeting guests – surely Robb would have come looking for his wife if they were done?

“What are you thinking about?” Jeyne asked with a smile.

“Just seeing if I recognized anyone”, said Jon, hoping she wouldn’t figure him out.  Jeyne had always been able to see through people well.  He dropped his voice.  “How are you doing?  Tired?”

“Not as bad as I was”, Jeyne replied, though the look on her face told him she had noted his change in subject.  “Another couple of weeks and then all shall be known.”

When Arya returned a couple of minutes later, she had Robb and Sansa with her. 

“…….I actually like Uncle Jon”, Robb was saying as they approached.  Sansa nodded her agreement before shrugging. 

“There are enough people here that we should be able to avoid her for most of the night”, said Sansa.

“Who are we gossiping about?” Jeyne asked.

“Aunt – “ Sansa began

“Loony Lysa”, Arya interrupted.  Jon stifled a snort as Sansa shot her sister a look of exasperation.  It wasn’t the first time he’d heard Arya use that nickname to describe her mother’s sister. 

“You better watch out”, Robb said to Arya.  “She told Sansa and me that she was looking forward to seeing you again.”

“Urgh”, was all Arya would reply. 

“Robb was telling me that your sister is coming to visit soon.” Jon turned his head slightly to look Sansa in the eye.

“Rhae, yeah”, he said.  _Gods could he sound any more like a moron?_   “I haven’t seen her for a while, so I’m pretty excited about it.”

“You should bring her to see the play”, Sansa suggested.  Jon considered it for a moment – he _did_ want to treat Rhae while she was here, and a night out on Broadway sounded like a good way to do so. 

“That would be fantastic – but isn’t most of your run already sold out?” The previews had been well-received, and Jon – who had scoured the theatre reviews in the New York press – had yet to see a bad word written about Sansa’s performance. 

“I can get you tickets.  It’s not a problem.  And, uhm, maybe we could all go out for dinner after?  I mean, Rhaegar did take me out for a meal.  If I can’t repay him directly, then taking you and Rhae out would be almost as good.  We could go to that place from before, the one you said Daenerys always took you to – Astapor, wasn’t it?”

Jon tried not to smile too widely at her suggestion.  He tried not to notice how Sansa fidgeted with her clutch when she spoke.

“Yeah, that sounds good”, Jon told her.  “I’ll find out from Rhae which night would suit her best.  Thank you, Sansa.”

“When did you two become best buddies?” Arya asked him pointedly. 

“Jon got tickets for a National Orchestra performance for me”, Sansa said before Jon could try and formulate a response to Arya. 

“His father plays for the National, and he took us out for dinner afterwards.  I would like to return their hospitality.  And I’ve been staying with Robb and Jeyne since I got to New York.  I can hardly ignore their friends, can I?  Besides, he’s been good to me.  I wouldn’t say we are _best buddies_ as you put it, but we have become friends.”

Jon felt a little uncomfortable and wasn’t quite sure what to say.  He and Arya had always been close, but he had as much right as anyone to be friends with Sansa and he didn’t want to have to justify it. 

He also didn’t want to have to quantify it, because every time they met he found himself wanting to spend more and more time with her.  Time he knew she didn’t have.  Sansa wasn’t staying in New York for long. 

“I never said you couldn’t be friends”, Arya retorted.  “I just meant that the two of you haven’t ever really spoken before, that’s all.”

“People change”, Sansa told her. 

“Yet the two of you seem to continue bickering”, Robb put in.  Jon was grateful for the interruption. 

“I’m going to get a drink”, said Sansa softly.  Jon watched as she walked away.  As much as he wanted to go after her, he figured she was looking for some space.  And it would only make things worse if he did. 

“Sorry”, Arya said sheepishly when Sansa was out of earshot. “Habit.”

“You’re lucky to have a sister who cares”, Jon told her.  “My brother barely bothers acknowledging my existence.”

He took a large gulp from the glass of champagne Arya had brought him, and was soon thankful for Jeyne attempting to bring some lightness back to the occasion by telling him and Arya about Lyarra’s insistence that Robb come to the party wearing the Minions tie she’d given him for his birthday. 

**********

Sansa tried to calm herself as she wandered over to collect a glass of champagne, nodding politely to friends of her parents. 

From the earliest days of their childhood, Arya had somehow instinctively known how to get her riled up good and proper.  Her growing friendship with Jon didn’t make him any less Arya’s friend.  It wasn’t a competition, and he didn’t have to choose between them. 

Sansa sighed.  Arya did have a point – before this trip, Sansa wasn’t sure she’d ever carried on a solo conversation with Jon for more than a few minutes.  For years he’d been Robb’s best friend and while she accepted that as fact, Sansa had never reached out to him. 

She’d never tried to make him her friend.  Not until now. 

But, she reflected, the thing that made her maddest of all was that she’d found herself almost playing down her friendship with Jon to her sister when, in reality, he was coming to mean a lot to her. 

A lot more than he should. 

Sansa picked up a glass of champagne and scanned the room to see if there was anyone she could zone out to, and keep company merely with her thoughts, but before she could find anyone Aunt Lysa accosted her.  Sansa groaned internally and cursed Arya for irritating her enough to move away from their group and placing her in their aunt’s path. 

“Aunt Lysa!” Sansa kissed her aunt’s cheek softly, and wished Uncle Jon were here too.  Aunt Lysa was so much easier to deal with when he was.

“Still no ring, I see”, Lysa tutted as she grabbed Sansa’s left hand.  “And no boyfriend present.  This is an important night for the family – where is your Loras?”

“He has work commitments”, Sansa put on her best fake smile.  “His team have a match in Seattle tomorrow.  And Loras and I have no imminent plans to marry.”

“Yes, I read you’d made a statement.  Pity.  You’re going to have to watch out, Sansa.  The closer you get to thirty without a ring on your finger, the closer you get to being a spinster.  I suppose it could be worse.  At least you aren’t living in sin with a dirty mechanic like your sister.” 

Sansa felt her temper flare.  Gendry was one of the nicest men she’d ever met, and he was nothing short of besotted with Arya.  Even if sometimes Sansa would find herself asking the Seven why that was the case.

“Arya and Gendry love each other very much, though neither of them feels marriage is the only way of expressing that.”  Sansa ignored Lysa’s reference to her age and bit her tongue at the retort flashing through her mind that they no longer lived in the eighteenth century. 

Marriage wasn’t something undertaken at a very young age any longer.  Thirty was no longer the cut off for spinsterhood.  And, if given the choice, Sansa would choose spinsterhood over Joffrey Baratheon or Harry Hardyng eight days a week.

“Still, I don’t know how your mother manages.  That is why I only ever had one child – you can put all your time and energy into them, rather than having to split it several ways.  I see your brother is already making the same mistake.  He has two, and I doubt they’ll stop there.  I would never countenance Robin living with a young lady out of wedlock.” 

Sansa stopped the catty retort – which, in her mind, sounded a lot like Arya’s voice – that someone who spent as much time around his mother’s skirts as her cousin did, would most likely never find a girlfriend to live with in the first place. 

“Cousin Robin is a testament to your parenting, Aunt Lysa”, Sansa settled on diplomatically. 

“I do wonder at you, though, Sansa”, Lysa sighed.  “Modelling.  Acting.  Hardly a respectable way to earn a living.”

“I find art, in all its forms to be an important part of our lives.  I know that not everyone agrees with me, but variety is the spice of life.  If we all thought the same things, the world would be a duller place.”

“It would be a safer one.”  If everyone thought like _her_ was the implication.

“Sansa?” She felt a light touch on her arm and caught the familiar pine-like scent she had come to associate with Jon.  Sansa turned to face him. 

“Sorry to interrupt – Jeyne asked me to come and fetch you.  There’s something she needs help with.”  Sansa thanked every deity she could think of for whomever had sent Jon.

“I should go and see what she needs”, Sansa smiled politely.  “We’ll have to continue this conversation another time, Aunt Lysa.  It was good speaking to you.”

Sansa felt Jon’s light touch at the small of her back, and found herself trying not to lean into it.  Instead, she asked Jon who had sent him to rescue her. 

“Nobody sent me”, he said sheepishly.  He lifted up the champagne glasses he was holding.  “I was getting us some more drinks and you looked like you wanted someone to come and take you away.  And you, Arya and Robb were talking before about avoiding her, so……You didn’t mind, did you?”

“Definitely not”, Sansa told him.  She always found that hesitancy he sometimes had quite cute.  After the cocksure attitudes of the men she encountered daily in LA, it was refreshing to find someone who didn’t act like he knew everything. 

“Thank you, Jon.”

When Jon returned Sansa to the corner he had commandeered alongside Robb, Jeyne and Arya, her sister pulled her aside and apologized. 

“I shouldn’t have said that the way I did.  I was just surprised.  You and Jon never seemed to me to be two people who had much in common.”

“A few years ago, I would have agreed with you”, Sansa admitted.  She ran her fingertips round the rim of her champagne glass. 

“I think differently now to how I did even one year ago, never mind a few.  Like I said earlier, people change.  I have changed.  I place more value on the simple things in life.  And I value loyalty and truth – two things I very much associate with Jon.”

“What did Jon say to you?”

“He rescued me from Aunt Lysa”, Sansa smiled.  “Like a proper knight in shining armour from a fairy tale.”

Arya laughed at that, and Sansa knew they were alright again.  She and Arya still bickered as they had years before, but it was far less frequent now.

“And what did Aunt Lysa have to say?” Arya asked, her arm in Sansa’s as they moved back towards their group.  “What have we done wrong now?”

“Well, you’re living with Gendry before marriage.” Arya snorted.  “Robb has more than one child and that will stop him from giving all of his attention to one of them.  And I am close to spinsterhood.”

“Ridiculous”, laughed Jeyne.  “Of course, my mother would probably say the same to most of that.  It always worried me how well she and Lysa seemed to get on.  I still don’t think either of them have forgiven the fact that I was pregnant with Lyarra when Robb and I got married.”

“Your mother does have a ‘ _you’re the man who defiled my daughter’_ look on her face most of the time I’m around her”, Robb agreed.  He took a drink of champagne. 

“I’d love to see the look on her face if I said loudly, in her hearing, how good Gendry is in bed”, Arya mused.  Robb spat out his drink, and a devilish smile grew across Arya’s face.  “Seriously, big brother – what do you think Gendry and I spend our free time doing?  Looking through knitting patterns?”

“No, but…..you don’t have to talk to me about it.”  Sansa took pity on Robb and the redness growing up his neck.

They spent most of the night talking together, and Sansa felt a little guilty that they had neglected the vast majority of the invited guests.  That said, she felt the party went smoothly; her father made a lovely, but brief, toast to her mother, nobody got too drunk and no large-scale arguments broke out. 

At the end of the night, Sansa helped her mother clear up a few things while she waited for the Uber Robb had ordered to take them back to his apartment. 

“I wish I could just leave all of this until the morning, but I know I’ll be glad then that I didn’t”, her mother sighed as they loaded glasses into the dishwasher.  “Did you enjoy yourself, sweetheart?”

“I did”, Sansa nodded.  “It was a lovely party.  I wish you’d let me do more for it.”

Her parents had engaged a catering company to provide food and drinks, but had turned down Sansa’s offer to hire professionals to serve food and drinks and clean up afterwards. 

“You did enough.”  Her mother patted her shoulder.  “I saw you talking to Lysa for a while – I didn’t have much of a chance to speak to her tonight.”

“I’m close to thirty and unmarried, Arya’s living in sin, and Robb has too many children”, Sansa sighed.  “We didn’t get as far as Bran and Rickon.”

“Lysa can be a bit old-fashioned sometimes.  Please don’t take what she says to heart.”

“I was fine.  Jon took pity on me and invented some errand Jeyne needed help with.” Sansa went to fetch another tray of glasses to load. 

She mused over the fact that Jon had seen her with Lysa and come to her aid, while her mother had not – and her mother knew more than anyone how Lysa could be.  Perhaps she was being unfair to her mother.  After all, Lysa was her sister. 

“Sansa?”

“Hmm?”  She must have zoned out and not heard her mother.  “Sorry, I’m a bit tired.  What did you say?”

“I asked if Margaery had plans to visit again soon.”  _You want to know if Loras has plans to visit again soon, more like_.

“It depends on her schedule”, Sansa shrugged.  “At the moment it doesn’t seem likely.  She has a lot of California-based work commitments, Paris Fashion Week, and I think she mentioned something about a trip to visit her grandmother in St. Barts.  Loras might come for a few days to show face, but it depends on how far through the finals his team gets.”

Sansa paused, and took in a deep breath.  Although Jon, Robb and Jeyne knew about her plans to end her arrangement with Loras, her parents did not. 

“If Loras does come, it won’t be for long.  We spoke when he and Margaery were here for the opening night.  I told him I want to end our arrangement when I get back to LA.”

Her mother set down the glasses she had been holding on the worktop. 

“I know Loras is your friend, and that you feel very protective of him”, her mother said tentatively. 

“But I cannot pretend I’m not happy to hear you say that.  Your father and I want you to be happy.  And long-term, we didn’t see that being compatible with continuing your arrangement.  I know you said when you came home that this was something you wanted to think about when you were here – was……..what finally made up your mind?”

“I don’t know there was one single thing”, Sansa replied evasively.  “To be honest, I think I had made my mind up before I even left LA.  I just didn’t want to live a lie any more.  And I do want to meet someone and settle down.  You’re right – I cannot do that while everyone believes I am in a relationship with Loras.”

She thought back to Sunday lunch at the beginning of her visit, and her mother’s mistaken impression that going to see the National with Jon had been a date. 

As much as she couldn’t admit it to her mother – hells, she could barely admit it to herself – Sansa knew she now had a very fixed idea of the sort of man she wanted to date when her agreement with Loras officially came to an end. 

She wanted a man like Jon Snow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting there!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for Jon to celebrate moving into his new home.........

Jon placed the Mimosa jug in the fridge, and tried to remember which cupboard he had put the disposable plates in.  He cursed under his breath as he rifled through a number before finally locating them. 

He’d thought it would be far simpler than this.  A few friends over to celebrate the end of the renovations on his new house and the fact that he had moved in.  A house-warming of sorts. 

Jon hadn’t envisaged more than picking up a few things from the local deli, until Daenerys had asked about the arrangements and immediately made it clear how wrong he was.

He remembered his days as a law student when a party meant going to the store for some chips and dips and a case of beer.  Those days were long gone.

It felt a little like his house went from being empty to being full in a matter of a few short minutes.  Sam and Gilly arrived first – with Little Sam and Aemon in tow – in full on George Bailey mode, salt, bread and wine in hand.  They had swiftly been followed by Grenn and Edd, bringing both apologies from Pyp who had been called into work and Grenn’s girlfriend, Violet. 

Jon had barely finished pouring drinks for them all when Robb and Jeyne arrived with Sansa, Lyarra and Neddy. 

“Happy house-warming”, smiled Jeyne.  She handed him a bottle of his favourite whiskey as she walked past him inside.  “We figured Daenerys would have sorted everything you needed house-wise, so we decided to just bring something for you.”

“Something you could have when your house is returned to peace and quiet after we’ve left”, Robb added.  Jon closed the door behind them. 

“We have another gift for you, don’t we?” said Sansa.  She had Lyarra in one hand and Neddy in the other.  Lyarra handed Jon a Tupperware box. 

“What’s this, then?” Jon asked. 

“Me and Neddy helped Auntie Sansa make them!” Lyarra exclaimed.  Jon opened the box to find a couple of dozen home-made chocolate chip cookies.  “I helped Auntie Sansa do the mixing, and she let Neddy and me lick the spoon and the bowl.”

“Wow, these are fantastic.  Thank you!” Jon kissed the top of Lyarra’s head and ruffled Neddy’s curls.  He knelt down to their level.  “How did you know that chocolate chip are my favourite?”

“Auntie Sansa said”, Lyarra told him.  Jon looked up at her, trying to keep his face as neutral as possible while she shrugged.

“You spent most of the summer holidays over at our house.  And I baked a lot of cookies.  I sort of figured out which you liked best by deduction given I knew what everyone else ate, but – “

“Thank you”, he said, interrupting her.  He looked back down at Lyarra and Neddy.  “Home-made presents are always the best.  Run on through, and I’ll bring you both those juice cartons you like so much.”

“You should go through and sit down and I’ll bring you a drink”, he told Sansa.  “Mimosa?”

“Please”, she nodded.  “I can’t have too many, though.  I need to be at the theatre by five for our evening performance.”

Jon watched her go through, the skirt of her lemon sundress swishing as she moved.  He shook his head, trying to remove thoughts of how amazing Sansa was from his mind, and went through to the kitchen. 

He poured out a mimosa for Sansa and a pineapple juice for Jeyne.  Jon took them through, before returning for a beer for Robb and juice boxes for Lyarra and Neddy. 

“Is your garden in any decent shape?” Gilly asked.

“Not too bad.  Dany doesn’t do the gardening side of things so it’s a little on the wild side.”

“Is it safe enough for me to take the kids outside for a bit?  It’s a nice day, and the fresh air might help tire them out a bit.” Jon nodded.

“Thank you”, Jeyne said to Gilly as she led all four children out to the small back garden. 

“Dany fashionably late as usual?” Robb asked. 

“She said she had to stop off somewhere on the way over”, Jon told him, trying to remember where her meeting was.  “Something about an annexe she’s been hired to decorate.  The owners keep changing their minds about what they want and it’s driving her mad.  They’re staying over tonight anyway.”

An hour later, they were still waiting for Dany and Daario to show up.  Knowing that Sansa had to be at work at five, and that the children would soon complain if there wasn’t any food, Jon decided to get a start on lunch and shouted on Gilly to bring the children back inside. 

He’d followed through on his intention to pay the local deli a visit, but taken Dany’s constructive criticism on board. 

There were cold meats and crusty bread – but also pre-made sandwiches and baguettes – as well as olives and the chips and dips he’d always had.  Only this time they were pitta chips and they had dips with names he had difficulty pronouncing.  Jon had also made sure there were plain ham sandwiches for the children.

He started taking the food through to the sitting room and placing it on the coffee table in the middle of the room.  After the first trip through, he heard a voice behind him when he got back to the kitchen.

“Can I help you with anything?” Sansa asked. 

“No, you should go sit down – I can bring it all through in a couple of trips”, he told her.  Jon groaned inwardly as she walked out of his kitchen.  Sansa was not making it easy for him to work through his little – okay, big – crush on her.  Not when she kept being so sweet to him. 

She was back a minute later.  “I know you said you didn’t need any help, but where do you keep the juice boxes?  Neddy’s just handed me an empty one and he always takes something to drink with his food.  Sorry, Jeyne went to the bathroom and Robb is getting food on a plate for the kids. ”

“The empty one can go in the trash can under the sink, and you’ll get fresh ones from the back of the fridge”, Jon told her.  He placed the olives in a dish, and went to take them through.

“Where?” Sansa asked.  Jon went over to the fridge door, and pointed at the second shelf. 

“Behind the coleslaw”, he said, leaning over her.  He tried not to sniff when he began to get a waft of the perfume she’d put on that morning. 

“D’uh! Thanks, Jon.” He smiled at her, but before he could speak Dany made her presence known. 

“Sorry we’re late.  I’m dealing with people who find it impossible to stick with their choices”, she sighed.  She came over to hug Jon.  He laid the bowl of olives on the counter, and returned her embrace. 

“Don’t worry about it.  We haven’t started eating yet.  I was just setting out the food.”  He stepped back, and shook Daario’s hand, before remembering Dany and Sansa had yet to meet.  “Oh.  Sansa, this is Dany.  Dany, this is Sansa – Robb’s sister.”

“Nice to meet you”, said Sansa.  “Jon speaks of you a lot – all good things, I promise!  I better get this juice to Neddy.

Jon watched her walk out of the kitchen, before turning back to Dany.  His aunt had a glint in her eye that Jon figured wouldn’t lead to anything good.

**********

Sansa helped herself to some coleslaw and a cheese and ham baguette, knowing it was likely she wouldn’t be able to eat again until after her return from the theatre.  She had gotten into the habit of fixing herself a snack when she returned, and flicking through the TV channels to wind down at the end of the evening. 

Performing live on stage gave her such an electric buzz that she always found it difficult to relax enough to sleep.  More often than not, she ended up taking a late night bath to force her body into a place where it was ready for rest.

She sat next to Jeyne on the sofa, nibbling softly on her baguette while her sister-in-law chatted away, and pointedly looking anywhere Jon wasn’t. 

There had been an initial state of panic the previous afternoon when she realized that Jon’s party was today and not next Saturday.  She’d delayed purchasing a gift as nothing she came across seemed to be good enough. 

Having seen the beautiful vase Jon had given her parents, Sansa could tell that he valued small, personalized gifts over large, ostentatious ones.  And it made sense to her.  It fitted very much with the Jon she had come to know in recent weeks. 

Once she’d calmed herself, Sansa reasoned that if she couldn’t _buy_ Jon a suitable present, she would need to _make_ him one.  Lyarra – still very much excited about involving herself in cooking – was delighted when Sansa suggested the two of them (and Neddy) bake some cookies for Jon. 

She had recalled as best she could the weekends and school holidays of her childhood when she helped her mother bake, and decided upon chocolate chip. 

It had been an early morning for her, but Sansa found she didn’t mind.

“This food is amazing”, Jeyne gushed.  “Why isn’t our local deli as good as this?”

“We’re not moving to Brooklyn for the sake of a deli”, laughed Robb. 

“I’ve known people to move house for far sillier things”, said Daenerys.  “I once had a client who hired me to do up a house they’d just moved into in Buffalo.  When I asked why they’d moved, they said it was because their old house faced the wrong way.”

“I’m not even sure what that means”, said Grenn’s girlfriend.  Violet, Sansa thought her name was.  She hadn’t caught it properly when they were introduced. 

“It can hardly have been facing another way when they bought it”, put in Edd. 

“I think they meant that they were looking for a south facing property”, said Daenerys.  “One where most of the rooms and the bulk of the garden face south and therefore get more sunlight.  But yes, you’re right, they knew which way it faced when they bought it.  I did ask how long they’d lived in it before deciding to sell, and they said around a fortnight.”

“The people I bought my house in LA from told me they were selling because they hadn’t been able to deal with living in a house that didn’t have a pool”, said Sansa. 

She’d promptly had one fitted, and didn’t know why the previous owners hadn’t simply done so themselves rather than go through the hassle of moving. 

Sansa thought they had moved away from the topic of houses, until Daenerys came over and sat beside her a little while later. 

Sansa had finished her baguette by this point, and was working her way through one of the miniature cheesecakes Jon had set out as dessert.  She’d picked a lemon one, and was silently echoing Jeyne’s wishes for Jon’s local deli to move closer to her.

“Tell me more about your house in LA”, Daenerys began.  “Is it one of those ‘30s-inspired ones in the Hills?”

“No, it was built in the ‘40s”, Sansa replied through a mouthful of cheesecake.  “Sorry.”

“It’s fine.  I love decorating houses, but I’m a bit of an architecture geek at the same time.”

“You’ve done well with this house”, Sansa told her as she looked around the room. 

Truth be told, as a New York girl she loved these old brownstones a lot more than her cold shell of a house in LA.  It was a house she’d bought for the view more than anything else.  Between them, Jon and Daenerys had made this house more homely in the space of a few weeks than Sansa had done in the years she’d had her own. 

“Who did yours for you?” Daenerys asked. 

“Oh, I didn’t hire anyone”, Sansa shrugged.  “I just picked up a few things.  My house wasn’t decorated nearly as lovingly as this one.  I bought a few pieces of art, left the walls white, and bought a few bits of furniture.  It’s probably as generic as most of the houses in the area.”

“Let me know if you ever decide to do it up.  I can offer friendly advice as well as my professional services”, she laughed. 

“I’ll bear that in mind”, Sansa promised.  But she knew that her LA house wasn’t one she saw herself living in long-term.  Sansa didn’t want to pour her heart and soul into a house she wasn’t entirely sure she would be living in a couple of years from now. 

She looked around the room again, and took in the homely aesthetic Jon had decided on.  Sansa wondered idly what it would be like to live in this house, take the train into Manhattan every morning and home every night.  To hear the hustle and bustle of the city, but still be a little removed from it.

Her house always seemed so empty and listless when she came back every night from the LA Medics set.  Sansa couldn’t imagine feeling that way about Jon’s home. 

“You obviously love what you do”, said Sansa.  Daenerys nodded. 

“It’s a form of art.  You know what that’s like.  We’re very lucky to have been able to turn our passions into a career.  Not everyone does.”

“True”, Sansa agreed. 

“And not only artists – your boyfriend is a soccer player?”

“He is”, Sansa confirmed, realizing Jon hadn’t told her anything about their conversation.  “Sport.  Art.  We’re a pretty lucky bunch.”

Sansa found herself more than a little disappointed when Jeyne pointed out to her that they’d need to leave if she was to get back to the apartment and freshen herself up before going to the theatre.  The day had passed by so quickly, and she was finding herself so immersed in the New York life she’d established that it sometimes felt as if she had no other.  Her conversation with Daenerys about her LA house had been a jolt back to reality.

“I’m sorry we have to break up the party”, Sansa apologized to Jon when he saw them to the door. 

“Don’t worry about it”, he shrugged.  “At least you came – Pyp totally bailed on me.”

Sansa laughed at his attempt at humour. 

“See you soon, bud”, Robb said as he hugged Jon in farewell.  Lyarra and Neddy both jumped up at him, before Robb ushered them out of the door and into the waiting cab.

Jeyne then wished Jon farewell with a hug, before he turned to Sansa.  She smiled softly at him before he wrapped his arms around her.  Sansa caught his scent and stifled the hitch in her breath, hoping he hadn’t noticed.  She pulled back reluctantly and looked at Jon.  “Goodbye.”

Sansa walked down the steps, and turned to wave before getting into the car.  She knew Jon wouldn’t go back inside until they’d left. 

On the ride back to the city, Sansa couldn’t stop thinking about how tightly he’d held her and how comfortable she felt in Jon’s arms.  And how much she would have liked to stay there.

“I like Uncle Jon’s house”, Lyarra told her.  “He has the juice boxes I like best.”  Sansa laughed.  To have the problems of a care-free five year old.

When she returned to the apartment later that night, following her performance, Sansa found everyone else had already gone to bed. 

Jeyne was seldom up later than ten-thirty at present, and Robb tended to follow her through to their bedroom pretty quickly – though he had, once or twice, stayed with Sansa to watch one of the late night talk shows. 

Sansa went into the kitchen and fixed herself some hummus and carrot sticks, before settling down to a re-run of _Casablanca_ on one of the movie channels.  As she munched away and watched Bogart on the screen, she heard her phone ping to indicate an incoming text message. 

Sansa tried and failed to push away the stupid smile that lit up her face when she saw who the message was from.

_Cookies are so amazing I may eat them all in one sitting.  Dany and Daario aren’t getting any.  Thank you so much!  Please pass on same to your fellow chefs.  Jon._

Sansa typed out a response, and put her phone back down.

_Not a problem – am sure my fellow chefs will share their experience with you, should you ever want to make some of your own.  Sansa.  PS – I reserved your tickets at the theatre today for when Rhae comes to visit.  They’ll be ready for me to pick up in a few days.  I managed to get roughly the same seats from the opening night – hope that’s alright?_

Recalling that Daenerys and Daario were meant to be staying overnight, Sansa was surprised when her phone pinged again very quickly after she’d sent Jon the message.

_Thank you! I loved the play and I’m sure Rhae will too.  I’ll get the table at Astapor booked over the next couple of days.  And any seats you could get us would be fine, but those from opening night will be fantastic.  Jon._

As the movie ended, Sansa decided that between the busyness of her day and how awake she felt, it was time for a long bath.  She switched the TV off, picked up her phone, and went through to start running the water.  While the bubbles and water grew higher in the bath, Sansa typed out a response to Jon. 

_Not a problem!  And I offered, remember!  What are friends for, if not for freebies?  Or so they say in LA.  Also, you’ve known my siblings for forever, it’ll be great to meet your sister.  Sansa._

She shed her clothes, and sunk down into the warm water.  Her arms rested on either side of the bath, with her phone nearby. 

_“I’m not friends with you for freebies.  I have Robb and Jeyne and their chilli for that!  You’ll love Rhae – she’s smart, funny and chatty, just like you.  I’m off to bed with my box of cookies.  Goodnight.  Jon._

Sansa grinned widely, and sent off a message in response. 

_Try not to get your bed covered in crumbs – Lyarra and Neddy always leave lots in mine and they’re a nightmare!  Goodnight.  Sansa._

It had been a long day, but a good one.  She found herself looking forward to meeting Jon’s sister and wondering how like Rhaegar she was.  Sansa had got on well with Jon’s father, though it saddened her that the two of them had only got to know each other relatively recently. 

When Sansa thought of her own, close family she knew how incredibly lucky they all were.

Immersing herself in the water, Sansa thought of Jon Snow.  If she was entirely honest with herself, there had been an ulterior motive hidden behind her invitation to bring his sister to see _Alayne_ , and for the three of them to dine together afterwards; a desire to find an excuse to spend time with Jon without having to admit to him or to anyone else how she felt about him.  

Even if she lived in New York instead of LA it would still be complicated.  Jon was her brother’s best friend and had been for almost all of their lives.  He was close to the rest of her family.  If – _when_ , more like, in Sansa’s experience – something went wrong, it would be awkward for all of them. 

Sansa loved Robb and Jeyne, and didn’t ever want to make them feel as if they had to choose.  She recalled what Jeyne had said to her all those weeks ago.  Jon was like family to them. 

There was a voice, unbidden, that entered her head.  A reminder that Jon Snow wasn’t like every other man she’d gone out with. 

Sansa broke back through the surface of the water.  As much as she wanted him, she knew Jon would have to remain simply the friend he was now.  It was all moot, in any case.  Jon had never given her any indication he saw her as anything more than his friend. 

**********

“To your new home”, Dany toasted.  They were on their second bottle of prosecco.  After the party had broken up, and Jon had tidied everything away, he hadn’t felt up to cooking and all three of them were unanimous in their desire to simply order in pizza. 

Pizza had turned into prosecco, and now they were on bottle number two.  Or possibly three, Jon’s head was starting to feel a little fuzzy.

“To my new home”, he agreed and raised his glass.  He took a sip, and then set the glass down on the table next to him.  Jon knew he should really fetch himself a bottle of water and hydrate, but he couldn’t summon the energy. 

“I’m done for.  I’ll head up to bed.  Goodnight”, said Daario.

“Night”, Jon replied. 

“I’ll be up soon”, Daenerys told him.  She smiled, and patted the seat next to her as Daario left the room.  Jon rolled his eyes and moved over to the sofa opposite, bringing his drink with him.

“So……” Daenerys began. 

“So?”

“In the time we’ve known each other, the only woman you’ve ever introduced me to is Val.”  Jon nodded. 

“That’s probably because she’s the only woman I’ve been seeing in the time we’ve known each other”, he pointed out.  “Unless you count horrible one-off dates I never wanted to see repeated, or times when we just never connected.”

Part of him could tell where this was going, and through the sparkling wine, Jon felt they were headed very much in the direction of Sansa Stark and the look Daenerys had given him in his kitchen earlier on in the day. 

“Why?”

“I know it was on and off between you and Val, but Jon not once did I ever see you look at her the way you do at Robb Stark’s sister.”  Jon grabbed the cushion that sat between himself and Dany, and began to try and fluff it out.

“Her name is Sansa”, Jon told her.  “And there isn’t anything going on between us.  She has a boyfriend.”  That wasn’t entirely, strictly true, but Dany didn’t need to know that. 

“But you wish there was something going on between you.  I see it every time you look in her direction.” 

Jon sighed.  “Is it truly that obvious?”

“When you start looking for it.  You’re normally guarded around people, but when you think nobody is watching you…….I just want you to be happy, Jon.”  Dany took the cushion out of his hands and set it back down on the sofa. 

“I like her.  We’ve become good friends over the last few weeks”, said Jon.  He ran his fingers through his dark curls. 

“I’m not stupid, Dany.  I know it can’t go anywhere.  Even if Loras wasn’t in the picture, she is only here for another couple of months.  Sansa lives an entire continent away, and her work keeps her so busy that she can only make it back to visit two or three times a year.  Sometimes not even that.  It’s just a stupid crush.  She’ll go back to LA when her play finishes, and we’ll maybe text and stuff, but I won’t see her again for months.  By then, it’ll be fine.  It has to be fine.”

Jon wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince – himself, Daenerys or both of them.

Not to mention, Jon knew how protective Robb was over his sister – he wasn’t sure how Robb would react if he told him how he felt about Sansa.  And Jon knew himself how she’d been hurt in the past.  He didn’t want to be the one to do that to her.

“I don’t want to be the one to break her heart.  She deserves better.”

“You’d never break her heart”, Dany told him after a minute.  “At the moment, I’m more worried that she might break yours – not intentionally.  Granted, I've met Sansa once and she seemed lovely, but I’ve known a lot of actresses, Jon, they – “

“You don’t know Sansa”, Jon interrupted. 

“I’ve known her since I was five.  We might not have been close friends all those years, but we were hardly enemies either.  Sansa isn’t shallow or petty.  She’s different.  I know a woman who loves her family, and cares for her friends.  She made me home-made cookies as a house-warming present rather than buy something expensive and tacky.”

Jon thought of the sweet and vulnerable Sansa who was open with him, and had been made insecure by the crappy boyfriends she’d landed with.  And he contrasted her with Margaery Tyrell – Margaery might be just like those actresses Dany had met, but Sansa was not.

“Okay, okay.” Dany held up her hands in surrender.  “Just be careful, Jon.  I don’t want you to get hurt.  But I also don’t want you to feel as if you can’t talk to me about it.  Are we okay?”

“We’re fine”, Jon assured her.  He could hardly call her out for caring about him, could he?  “I know my feelings for Sansa can’t go anywhere, and I don’t plan on acting on them.”

At most, acting on his feelings would lead to a fling.  And Jon knew even a short relationship with Sansa would have the dual consequences of putting him in an even worse frame of mind than he was now, and ruining him for the future as far as other women were concerned.

“I’m going to bed.  We don’t ever need to talk about this again if you don’t want to.  But, if you do, then I’m here for you.  Understand?”  Jon nodded.

He could hear Dany’s steps as she walked up the stairs.  Jon sighed.  It had been a more intense end to the evening than he had imagined.  He finished his glass of prosecco and found himself with a serious case of the munchies. 

Recalling the cookies Sansa and the kids had brought, Jon went in search of them and found they were as delicious as those he recalled her making with Catelyn Stark when he went to visit Robb over the weekend or during the school holidays. 

A silly grin on his face, Jon went back to the sitting room with the Tupperware box and his phone.  He scrolled down until he found Sansa’s name, and hit on _create message_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel I have to defend Dany here - please note that she is just being protective of her nephew! As far as she is aware, he's fallen for a woman in a serious, long-term relationship who lives on the other side of the country. And the only outcome she can see is her nephew in pain. Please take that into consideration!!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon gets surprising news and Sansa has some thoughts......

Sansa paced up and down her bedroom in Robb and Jeyne’s apartment as she waited for Brienne to answer her phone.  In one ear she could hear the ringing tone which indicated Brienne had yet to pick up her call, and in the other she could hear echoes of Jeyne calling Lyarra and Neddy for breakfast. 

“Sansa?  How are you?  How is the play going?”  Brienne asked when she answered. 

“Good and good”, she replied.  They were more than a fortnight into the main run at present, and Sansa was all too aware that time was running out.  In a mere nine weeks, it would come to an end and she would need to move on to a new project. 

“What can I do for you today?”

Sansa bit her lip.  “I wanted to know how long I have to make a decision on LA Medics.”

“In theory, the agreement I came to with Selmy gives you until the start of next year.  They need to begin working out storylines for the next season then.  But he made it clear they’d like to know sooner rather than later.  If you decide to opt out, then the sooner the better if you want to work with them again.”

“Okay”, Sansa nodded to herself.  “I’m almost there with a decision.  I’ll have one for you by the end of the run of _Alayne_.”

“Sansa?  My professional advice is to sign the contract and to do so in the next few weeks.  My personal advice is to take the time you need and do whatever makes you happiest.”  Sansa chuckled.  How very Brienne. 

“Thank you.  You’re a good friend as well as a good agent.  Like I said, I’m almost there.”

“Can I ask which way you’re leaning?” Brienne wheedled. 

“Do you mind if I don’t say?” Sansa asked.  “I just want to be a hundred per cent before I say anything out loud.  I haven’t really talked it over with anyone.”

“Your prerogative”, Brienne told her.  “If there’s nothing else, then I better go.  I’ve got a meeting downtown in an hour.”

“There’s nothing else”, Sansa assured her.  She said her goodbyes and ended the call. 

She really did want to be one hundred per cent sure before she uttered it aloud to Brienne.  She trusted her agent implicitly, but Brienne wasn’t the only person at her firm. 

She wanted to be really sure, but right now Sansa’s gut instinct was telling her that Dr. Jonquil Florian was part of her LA life.  And she was ready for that part of her life to be over.  She’d made enough of a name for herself that she didn’t need to be in LA to get jobs any longer.  Sansa, should she wish to, could move home.   

It was still a risk, but one Sansa currently felt compelled to take.  It would be an opportunity for a fresh start away from the ghosts of her relationships with Joffrey and Harry and the falseness of her “relationship” with Loras. 

She could spend more time with her family, including the new niece or nephew Jeyne was expecting.  She could explore new friendships. 

“Sansa!” Robb called.  She pulled herself out of her thoughts and went out into the hallway, where she found herself face to face with her brother.  “Just wanted to make sure you remembered about the appointment?”

“Of course”, she nodded.  Jeyne had a check-up with Doc. Luwin scheduled for late morning, and Sansa had offered to watch Lyarra and Neddy.  Robb had left a gap in his schedule so he could go with her. 

Sansa followed Robb back through to the kitchen, where he quickly grabbed the lunch Jeyne had made him and kissed her and the children before running out the door. 

“I don’t know where he gets his energy from sometimes”, sighed Jeyne.  “I’m getting tired far more easily this time around.  I’ve been up for less than two hours and I’m already craving a nap.”

“You have two young children to cope with this time around”, Sansa reminded Jeyne as she poured herself a cup of coffee.  “And if you’re tired, you should go for a nap before your appointment.”

“I will do. Thanks for watching these two while I’m gone.”  She ruffled Neddy’s curls. 

“Please, I’m getting the good end of the bargain.”  Sansa sat down at the kitchen table, and grabbed some fruit from the bowl.  “We’re going to have lots of fun, aren’t we?”

“Can we bake cookies again, Auntie Sansa?” Lyarra asked.  “Like the ones we made for Uncle Jon.”

“I thought we could make a cake for mummy and daddy this time”, Sansa whispered in Lyarra’s ear.  “A special, surprise cake.”

“Yes!” Lyarra agreed.  Sansa raised a finger to her lips to indicate silence, and returned to cutting up her fruit.

“What are you up to?” Jeyne asked. 

“Nothing”, Sansa feigned ignorance.  She planned to make a pineapple-topped sponge cake.  Baking the cookies for Jon’s house-warming present had reminded Sansa how much she’d loved it as a girl.  Baked goods weren’t readily consumed in her LA life (they contained too many carbs) but she was starting to rediscover an old passion back in New York. 

“We’re going to tell your parents on Sunday”, said Jeyne. 

“About the munchkin?”  Jeyne nodded.

“It’s been almost four months now.  It feels like time.  Your parents will be excited, but I’m prepared for Arya’s barbs about repopulating the western hemisphere.”  Jeyne laughed. 

“She means nothing by it.  She might change her mind in the future – she’s changed a lot since she and Gendry got together – but Arya never saw it as part of who she is.” 

It had taken Sansa a long time to truly understand her sister.  They still argued, and her parents’ anniversary party was evidence of that, but it was far less frequent than in childhood and Sansa put that down in large part to a greater understanding of each other’s perspectives.

“We’re going to tell the kids tonight.”

**********

Jon switched on his laptop as the train pulled out of the station.  The announcer listed off the stations it would stop at en-route to Central Station, but Jon ignored the monotonous voice in favour of contemplating his meeting with Mance Rayder. 

The Appeals Court had scheduled a hearing for the following month in which the case for commutation of sentence would be heard.  Rayder had been sentenced to five years imprisonment, but Jon’s experience with the PD’s Office told him that a sympathetic judge could reduce the sentence to half that. 

As the train passed through the countryside, Jon typed up the notes he had taken from their meeting and mentally tried to formulate some of the arguments he could make in front of the judge.  He had plenty of time to draft and re-draft his statements, and a further couple of meetings with Rayder scheduled between now and the hearing. 

His phone pinged, and Jon picked it up to see a text message from Sansa.  He failed to stop the goofy smile he knew was forming across his face.  That was something he really had to stop himself doing, particularly when he was around other people.  Shielding his screen from the late afternoon sunshine, which suddenly hit as the train emerged from a wood, Jon opened the message.

_I just wanted to let you know that I’ve picked up the tickets for you and Rhae.  I’ll leave them with Robb so you can pick them up when you’re over on Friday.  Hope your day is going well.  Sansa._

Jon smiled, and quickly typed out a reply.

_Thank you so much again for sorting out the tickets – I’ll let Rhae know and book Astapor tonight.  Today is a good day for me, hope it is for you.  Jon._

He remembered Rhae telling him she was on night shift this week, and a quick look at his watch told Jon she would be up by now.  He scrolled through the contact list on his phone, and clicked to call his half-sister’s number.

“Jon?” Rhae said when she answered.  “It’s only a little after four.  Shouldn’t you be saving the world one falsely convicted criminal at a time right now?”

Jon laughed.  “I’m on my way back to the office after a meeting.  How are you?”

“Tired.”  She yawned to emphasise her point. 

“Night shifts can be brutal and last night was particularly busy.  It’s the heat of summer.  It makes people more violent and more likely to injure themselves in the great outdoors.  Dany called me yesterday to arrange a lunch date while I’m in New York next week.  She seemed very interested in the surprise you’re giving me, because she knew nothing about it.”

Dany knew nothing of it _yet_ , because in spite of their last conversation on the subject Jon was a little wary of mentioning Sansa’s name around his aunt.

“I’ve only just got everything sorted”, Jon settled on.  And it was the truth. 

“Well, I take it you’re calling to tell me?  Either that or there’s some exciting piece of news you have to pass on.”

“I have tickets to see a show and we’ll go out for dinner afterwards”, Jon told her.  “Does that sound like a good New York night out?”

“It does.  Which play?”

“ _Alayne_.  Robb’s sister has a part in it, and she managed to sort us out a couple of tickets.”

“Is she the one you took to dad’s concert?”

“Yeah.”  Jon coughed.  He suddenly recalled Rhae was almost as perceptive as Dany.  “Robb hates that sort of thing, so I offered to take her instead of him.  I figured I was going anyway.”

“Dad liked her.  He said the two of you have been talking more recently.”

“We have”, Jon confirmed.  He and Rhaegar now spoke on the phone regularly, rather than e-mailing sporadically.

“Good.”

“Sansa said she’d take us out to dinner afterwards.  If you want it to just be the two of us, I can turn down her offer.”

“Are you kidding?  I’m an ER Nurse Manager.  Virtually my entire department watches her show.  And even if they didn’t, you’ve known her most of your life.  I’d still want to meet her.”  Jon cringed a little, but he knew Rhae well enough not to worry that she’d spend the entire meal fangirling over Sansa.

“I better go, Rhae.  I’ve got some notes to type up before I reach Central.  I’ll call you at the weekend.”

“Speak to you then.”

“Bye.”

“Bye.”  Jon ended the call, and set his phone down.  

The office was quieter than normal when Jon returned, but when he got himself some coffee a meeting concluded in one of the larger conference rooms and a couple of dozen people poured out – including Sam.  Jon caught his friend’s eye and smiled. 

When he turned to head back to his office, Sam came up to him.  “Can I talk to you about something?  In private?”

“Sure”, Jon nodded, feeling a little intrigued.  Since his switch to Appeals cases, he and Sam were no longer working in the same department.  They went into Jon’s office, and he closed the door behind them.  “Is everything alright?  Gilly and the kids?”

“Everyone’s fine.  At least, they were when I left them this morning.  No, I wanted to talk about you.”  Jon furrowed his brow.  What could Sam have to talk to him about?

“If you’re looking to set me up with someone, I’m not really interested at the moment.” 

Nobody he met now would interest Jon half as much as Sansa Stark, and he wasn’t about to use another woman in his attempt to move past his crush on his new friend.  Jon sat down at his desk, and indicated for Sam to take the seat opposite.

“No, it isn’t that.  I wanted you to know before someone like Thorne found out and blind-sighted you.”  This didn’t sound good, nor did Sam’s fidgeting look good.  “I was down at Val’s precinct today.”

“She seeing someone else now?”  They may have been together intermittently for the last three years, but Jon found he felt nothing more than a hope she would find someone to make her happy. 

“A little more than that.  You know the big bloke who transferred in from Chicago?  Red hair, looks like a boxer?”  Jon nodded. 

“Tormund something.  She’s seeing him?”

“She, uh, she eloped with him.”  Jon spluttered and was instantly relieved he had only taken a small sip of his coffee. 

“Val?  Val, my commitment-phobic ex-girlfriend?  The woman who told me she never wanted marriage or kids?  Who felt anything more than a weekend in Atlantic City was a bit much?  That Val?” 

Jon was astounded.  He didn’t feel any sort of jealousy towards this man Tormund, simply surprise that Val seemed to have made such a turnaround in such a short space of time.

“That Val”, nodded Sam.  “I just wanted you to know.”

“Yeah.  Sorry, I’m just surprised is all.”   _Wow_. 

Sam turned at the door, and looked back at Jon.  “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine”, Jon assured him.  “Shocked.  Surprised.  Would never have guessed it in a million years.  But, yeah, I’m fine.  I’d already moved past her, Sam.”

Sam nodded, and then left the room. 

**********

Since _Alayne_ had moved from rehearsals to previews and the main run, Sansa no longer went to Gage’s for lunch every day.  Instead, she tended to eat with Jeyne and the children before heading to the theatre mid/late afternoon. 

There was a change of pace for her on Thursday morning when her mother called and invited her for lunch.  Recalling fondly the meals she’d had there, Sansa arranged to meet her mother at Gage’s a little after one.

“I miss coming here every day”, said Sansa as she looked through the menu in search of inspiration.  She couldn’t quite decide what she wanted to eat. 

“Was there a particular reason you wanted to go for lunch?”

“Do I need an excuse to treat my eldest daughter?” her mother asked pointedly.  Sansa felt a little guilty at being so suspicious. 

“Sorry.  No, you don’t.”  Sansa set down her menu. 

“I was looking at my diary for the next few weeks and I realized how little time there is left before you go back to LA.  I miss you when you’re there.”  Sansa shifted in her seat. 

“I miss all of you.  In fact, if there is one thing this trip has taught me it’s just how much I have completely neglected all of you.  But that’s going to change.  I’m going to visit a lot more.  I promise.” 

Sansa knew she could keep that promise at least.  She thought about talking through the possibility of her moving home, but decided against it.  Sansa loved her mother, and she didn’t want to give her any false hope.  Nothing was certain yet.

Besides, her mother was hardly an objective party in this. 

“Lysa called the other night – she wonders if there is any chance of tickets to your play before the run ends?”  Sansa nodded.  The waiter came over to take their order, pausing their conversation. 

“Find out from her when she wants to come, and I’ll organize tickets for her”, said Sansa.  Even if Uncle Jon came with her, Sansa knew Aunt Lysa wasn’t someone she would go out for dinner with afterwards.  “And I need to know how many tickets.  Is she coming alone, or with Uncle Jon or Robin?”

“Just her and Robin.  Uncle Jon has a few weeks work left in Washington.”  Sansa nodded. 

Yeah, she most definitely wouldn’t be meeting up with them after.  It made her feel a little guilty, but Aunt Lysa was nothing but critical of her and Sansa couldn’t face a meal in which her faults would be listed.  There would be no Jon Snow to rescue her this time. 

“If you want to come again, you need only ask.  I can arrange tickets.”

“Your father and I would like to come again just before you finish”, said her mother as their drinks arrived. 

“I spoke to Margaery the other night”, said Sansa.  “She has lots of plans for the two of us after I go back.  Lots of nights out.  She even suggested a weekend in Hawaii to relax after I’ve finished _Alayne_.”

Margaery had been very understanding when Loras had told her that Sansa wanted to end their agreement.  She’d sent Sansa a message simply saying ‘ _Thank you.  I knew it couldn’t last forever.’_  

Margaery had subsequently – as Loras predicted – started to think of eligible men she could set Sansa up with when her break-up with Loras was official.  Sansa had simply replied that she didn’t want to decide on anyone until after her return. 

Sansa hadn’t spoken to Margaery about the possibility of a move back to New York any more than she had her mother – and for the same reason.  She knew Margaery would plead and wheedle and try to persuade her to stay in LA. 

And she hadn’t told Margaery anything about her growing feelings for Jon.  That was partly because Margaery had herself been attracted to Jon both times they’d met.  And it was partly because to admit it out loud to another person would make her feelings far more real.

Even if she moved back to New York, Sansa had no idea whether Jon saw her as anything more than a friend.  And she didn’t want her feelings for him to be a factor in her decision.  If she moved back it would be for her family, not a man. 

But there was always the possibility that something could happen.  Sansa had tried to stop thinking about it, but always came up short.  Too often when she closed her eyes, the first thing she saw was the soft, private smile he wore when around those he cared about.  Those soft lips she wanted to explore; to know how sweet they were.  Sansa felt herself blushing. 

She wondered what it would be like to kiss Jon Snow, to run her fingers through those soft curls while he parted her lips with his tongue and –

“Sansa?  Earth to Sansa?” Sansa shook her head and removed herself from her thoughts, to see her mother looking at her in concern.  “Are you alright?  You said Margaery had plans for a trip to Hawaii, and then you were off in another world.”

“Sorry”, Sansa apologized.  She searched for a plausible excuse.  “Dreaming of sandy beaches.  And the ocean.”

“You miss that here, I take it?”  Sansa shrugged.  If she was completely honest, she missed the sound of the ocean more than the ocean itself.  The sound of the waves crashing against rocks.  It gave the illusion of noise, of hustle and bustle.  The things she missed about New York. 

“Not as much as I miss all of you when I’m in LA”, she admitted.

“And you are already making plans for your return”, her mother sighed.  “Just when we were starting to get used to you being here.”

“I’ll be back soon”, Sansa promised.  Though how soon, and for how long, she could not say.

**********

By the time Friday came to a close, Jon was relieved Sam had warned him about Val and her new husband.  His transfer to the Appeals team meant he no longer visited her precinct, but other people he worked with did. 

Karl Tanner had been first to pass comment, and Thorne had – predictably – soon followed.  No matter how many times Jon truthfully insisted he was happy for Val and they had parted on good terms, the snide comments of Thorne’s cronies and the office gossips followed him wherever he went. 

What irritated Jon was that had he been heart-broken at the news, their comments would hardly have been the most sensitive he had come across.  Jon figured he was learning who he could really trust.

All thoughts of the PD’s Office were set aside, however, when he entered Robb and Jeyne’s apartment. 

“Uncle Jon! Uncle Jon!” Lyarra shouted when Robb let him in.  She ran over to see him and started jumping up and down.  She seemed more excitable than usual, and Jon wondered if Robb had inadvertently given her a sugar high again.

“Princess Lyarra, how are we today?”

“Did daddy tell you?  Did he?  Did he?”

“Let Uncle Jon come in and sit down, sweetheart”, Robb told her fondly.

“Did your daddy tell me what?”  Jon asked with furrowed brows, though he suspected he knew what she was talking about.  He bent down so he was closer to her level.

“My mummy is going to have a baby, and it’ll be my brother or sister!  I want a sister.  I already have a brother”, she told him. 

“Wow.  That’s exciting news, isn’t it?”  Jon smiled down at her.  “You’re already a good big sister to Neddy, aren’t you?”

“Yes”, Lyarra nodded. 

“So you can help teach Neddy how to be a good big brother, can’t you?”  She agreed with him, and then ran off in the direction of the bedrooms. 

“Decided to tell the munchkins then?”

“Yep”, said Robb.  They went over and sat down on the sofa.  Jon could see Jeyne preparing the children’s dinner in the kitchen and waved.  “We’re going to tell the rest of the family on Sunday over lunch, but we wanted to tell the kids first.”

“Lyarra seems to have taken it well anyway.”  Robb snorted, and Jon raised an eyebrow.  “What?”

“First of all she looked at Jeyne as if she were about to give birth in the next five minutes, so we had to explain the baby won’t be here for another five months.  She keeps going over to Jeyne and trying to hear the baby move around.”

“That’s kinda cute”, Jon admitted.  “Did Neddy understand much?”

“Nope.  He keeps on looking around as if a baby will magically appear.” 

When they were sitting down for their own meal after the children had gone to bed, Jeyne pulled a sonogram picture from her pocket and handed it to Jon.  “The latest Stark”, she said. 

Jon looked at the picture, and tried to work out what was what.  “Wow.  Have they given you a due date yet?”

“December 17th”, replied Jeyne.  She shrugged.  “It is what it is.”

“A Christmas baby?” said Jon. 

“Possibly literally”, Robb told him.  “Lyarra and Neddy were both late.”

“They very nearly had to induce Lyarra because I was almost a fortnight over, and Neddy wasn’t far off that either”, sighed Jeyne.  “I suppose it could be worse.  I’ll be at my most uncomfortable in the middle of winter rather than the middle of summer.”

“How about you?” Robb asked.  “Any news?”

“Rhae’s flying in on Monday night for her conference.  She’s catching the Red Eye, but I’ll see her on Tuesday night when I take her to Sansa’s play – “

“Shoot, that reminds me, she asked me to pass on the tickets”, said Robb.  “Make sure I give them to you before you leave.”

“Will do.  Anyways, she’s here until late Thursday afternoon.  She’s meeting Dany for lunch on Wednesday.  I would try and re-arrange my schedule to join them, but it would mean moving a meeting with Mormont and I figured that wouldn’t be the best idea”, he told them.

“What’s the conference on?” Jeyne asked. 

“It’s a bunch of ER Nurse Managers sharing best practice techniques and exchanging war stories”, Jon shrugged.  “Or, at least, that’s how Rhae describes it.  I’m sure it has some sort of fancy name.  I’m really looking forward to seeing her again.  Oh, and Val eloped.” 

Jon broke off a piece of garlic bread, and tried to ignore the clunk of Robb’s dropped fork.  “Val _eloped_?  Shit, are you serious?!”

“Swear jar”, Jeyne told her husband.

“The kids are in bed.”

“Swear jar.”  Robb grumbled, and Jon tried to hide his amusement.

“Seriously, though.  Your ex-girlfriend, the one who thought a week together in Miami was taking things a bit far, got married?”

“So Sam says.  He was down at her precinct the other day, and someone told him.  She married another detective, one who transferred in from Chicago a few months back.  I’ve dealt with him before.  Nice guy.”

Jeyne placed her hand on his arm.  “How are you taking it?”

“Well.  Things had been over between us for a while, and I think that the last couple of times we got back together it was more through habit than anything else.  Really.  I’ve moved on from her.  We’re not going to be happy together, but that doesn’t mean I want her to be alone for the rest of her life.” 

He saw Jeyne and Robb exchange a look, and rolled his eyes.  “Seriously, I’m fine with it.”

He didn’t understand why people couldn’t see it wasn’t a big deal to him.  Sam had been the same.  Maybe it was that part of Jon knew it would be hypocritical for him to resent Val having feelings for someone else when he did too.  Of course, that would by necessity involve him telling them who he had feelings for.  And that would open a can of worms Jon would prefer not to see exposed – particularly to Robb.

Jon assured them again that he was fine, and more than comfortable in his life without Val.  “We’d make each other miserable.  To be honest, if we’d got back together that night she offered, I’d be miserable now.  Instead, I’m more than content with where my life is.”

“Still, do you want me to set you up with someone?” Robb asked.  “I know you said not to, but things are different now.”

“Nope, but thanks for the offer”, said Jon.  _Unless that someone is your sister._


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa describes her ideal man, Ned and Catelyn find out about Jeyne's pregnancy, and Rhae comes to visit!

“Have you got our present?” Jeyne asked Neddy and Lyarra as they stood outside the Stark townhouse.

“I do, mommy”, said Lyarra.  Jeyne smiled at her daughter. 

Sansa thought the way Jeyne had devised to tell her parents about the newest addition to the Stark family was pretty cute.  She’d bought a plain greetings card, and enclosed a copy of the sonogram picture she’d been given at her appointment the week before. 

“Okay, so no telling anyone about baby Stark until they’ve opened the present, okay?”  Lyarra nodded solemnly.

The five of them wandered inside, with Robb shouting that they’d arrived.  Given the noise her niece and nephew were making, Sansa figured that Robb’s words were surplus to requirement. 

She followed Robb and Jeyne through to the kitchen, where her parents could always be found upon her arrival.  Sure enough, her mother was adding the finishing touches to a sponge cake while her father sipped a cup of tea.

“Present! Present!” Lyarra shouted.  Sansa stifled a chuckle at her niece, and watched while her mother opened the card.  She saw her mother’s face go from puzzled to excited as she opened up the card and saw the enclosed picture.  Her mother squealed happily and went to hug Jeyne.

“When?”

“Around Christmas”, Jeyne told her happily.  “They say I’m due on the 17th, but after the other two I think there’s a reasonable chance I’ll last until Christmas Day.”

Sansa stood off to the side as her parents ushered Jeyne into the most comfortable seat they could find, and congratulated both her and Robb.  She couldn’t be happier for Robb and Jeyne.  Her elder brother had been her first friend and had protected her as well as her father had, as a young girl.  Jeyne was all she could wish for in a sister-in-law and Sansa had always been close to her. 

But, gods, did she envy the two of them.  It was a selfish jealousy, to be sure, and she felt guilty that the thought even crossed her mind. 

But she felt it nonetheless. 

As much as Sansa had always been focused and determined in pursuit of her career, she had always wanted to be a wife and a mother.  And times like this made her feel that hole in her life.   

“What’s going on?” Sansa turned to see Arya and Gendry wandering in.  With all the commotion, their arrival had gone unnoticed. 

“I’m pregnant”, Jeyne told them.  “Around four months.”

Sansa felt another pang of envy as she saw Jeyne turn in her chair to look up at Robb.  Robb stood behind Jeyne, hand on her shoulder and a look of pure love and adoration on his face.  Joffrey, Harry……..no man had ever looked at Sansa like that and it saddened her. 

“Trying to double the population one baby Stark at a time?” Arya grinned. 

“Congratulations”, said Gendry as he shook Robb’s hand. 

“Be interesting to hear what Lo – what Aunt Lysa says”, Arya commented.  Sansa could just imagine what her aunt would say – in fact, she wouldn’t put it past her aunt to ask Robb if he’d ever heard of contraception.

Jeyne’s pregnancy was the only topic of conversation at lunch, and it continued when Sansa and Arya insisted upon clearing everything away and loading the dishwasher for their mother.  Sansa had taken the decision, without any input from Arya, and told her parents they should spend the time with Robb and Jeyne. 

“Good thing Robb and Jeyne are providing mom with grandchildren.  Keeps her off my back”, said Arya.  Her sister was sat on the counter, working her way through a packet of cookies while Sansa loaded the dishwasher.

“Have you and Gendry never talked about it?”  Sansa asked. 

“Yes and no.  I told him I wouldn’t mind maybe having one at some point in the future, but not while he’s on the road so much.  I can’t see myself wanting to change diapers.  They stink.”  Sansa laughed. 

“So when Gendry agrees to be a house husband, then?” Arya shrugged. 

“I always figured you would be the one to try and pile up more kids than mom and dad.”

“It never really worked out that way”, Sansa sighed with a shrug.  “Can you imagine the spawn of Joffrey or Harry?  Urgh.  I would like children, though.  I just need to find myself someone to have them with.  Margaery says she’s got a long list of eligible men to set me up with once the break-up with Loras is official.”

“Models and actors and stuff?” Arya asked, rolling her eyes. 

“Probably.”

“And you want someone like that?  Someone who just cares about appearances and the like?”

“Not everyone in the modelling world is shallow, Arya.  Nor are all actors.  But.....I want a man who is kind and generous.  Someone who makes me laugh, but knows when I need a hug.  Someone I can be comfortable being silly around, but who will sit and just listen if I need to talk.  Someone who is smart and doesn’t assume they know who I am because of the job I do.  Someone who cares about more than themselves.  I’m not sure if that man exists in Hollywood.” 

Sansa put the last saucepan in the dishwasher and set it on full load. 

“Wow.  You’ve got a long list.” Arya rolled her eyes, and then jumped down from the counter.  “I’m not surprised that man doesn’t exist in Hollywood.  I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t exist anywhere.  You want perfect – perfect doesn’t exist.”

Part of Sansa wanted to scream that the man she’d described did very much exist – because when she was listing the qualities she was looking for in an ideal man, she realized she was describing _Jon_.  The rest of her knew that Arya would be onto her in a flash if she had even a sniff of how Sansa felt about Jon. 

“Not in Hollywood, huh?  Did you meet someone at work?  The guy who plays your character’s kidnapper seems a bit creepy, but that could just be how good an actor he is.”

“Baelish is such a sleaze.  He’s the reason Bran got a good few weeks of free lunches out of me.  And no, I haven’t met anyone at work.”  That was true, at least.  “Come on, we should go back through to the family room.”

Her mother’s excitement clearly hadn’t dampened down, because she was running through a list of family names she thought would be suitable for her next grandchild.  Sansa grabbed her phone and curled up on the sofa next to the unlit fire. 

“Hoster.  Minisa.  Serena.  Cregan.  Torrhen………”

Sansa entered her pin code and saw she had a new message. 

_Rhae just called in a panic.  She’s in the middle of packing and doesn’t have a clue what to wear on Tuesday night.  Apparently I know nothing about fashion.  Jon._

Sansa smiled as she read through his message and then fired off a response.

_She doesn’t need to wear anything fancy.  The theatre does frown upon pyjamas, though.  And I would guess that Astapor does too.  Sansa._

She checked her inbox to see if anyone other than Jon had sent her a text, and they hadn’t.  It didn’t bother her as it once would have.  Once, Sansa would have been crestfallen that nobody seemed to want to get in touch with her.  Now, she looked around the room and figured most of the people she wanted to message her were sat around her. 

Her phone pinged, and she saw Jon had sent a response.

_No pyjamas?!  Damn, I’ll have to re-think my choice of outfit.  Hope you’re having a good day.  Jon._

Sansa smiled.  All the text conversations she had with Jon included some sort of wish for a good day at some point.  As she began to type a response, his mention of pyjamas made Sansa wonder if he wore pyjamas to bed – and if so, what they looked like. 

_Stuffed from lunch.  My mother tends to forget she isn’t feeding the entire neighbourhood!  She’s currently reciting just about every Stark and Tully name in history to Robb and Jeyne.  Hope you’re having a good day too.  Sansa._

She had barely time to glance around the room and make sure her texting wasn’t too conspicuous when her phone pinged again.

_Yeah, I remember the dinner your mother gave for Robb’s birthday a couple of years ago.  The leftovers she sent me home with lasted an entire weekend.  Her cooking is awesome so I was hardly complaining.  I’m having a quiet day here.  I never thought I would miss noise.  If I was home more often, I’d get a dog for company but it isn’t fair when I’m out at work all day.  Workplaces should have dog day care facilities for staff pets.  Actually, doggy day care facility sounds like a decent business idea.  Jon._

Sansa tried to imagine Jon with a dog, and every image she conjured had him cuddling cute yelping puppies.  Thinking back to childhood, she recalled him and Robb playing with Robb’s old dog, Grey Wind. 

_I think a dog would suit you.  I’d love one myself, but I have the same problem as you do.  I miss noise too.  When I’m in LA, I mean.  I’m actually enjoying all the shouting and squealing I wake up to every morning at the moment.  I’ll miss it when I have to go back.  Sansa._

After she clicked on send, Sansa raised her head to see everyone looking over in her direction.  “What?”

“We said your name like five times”, said Arya.  “Who are you texting that’s so interesting?”

“It’s just work stuff”, she replied lamely, before setting her phone down.  Her phone pinged again, but she resisted the temptation to look at Jon’s response.  “Sorry, what were you saying?”

“I just asked if you had any plans this week, sweetheart”.  Her mother looked at her with concern in her eyes.  “I hope you aren’t over-working yourself.”

“I’m not.  I promise.  And I don’t have much in the way of plans for this week – just dinner with Jon and his sister on Tuesday.  I figured it was a good opportunity to return Rhaegar’s hospitality.”  _And to spend time with Jon without people questioning it too thoroughly._  

“I also need to go shopping for a new suitcase at some point.  I’ve bought a few things while I’ve been in New York and I know I don’t have any space in the ones I brought with me from LA.”

“Oh, don’t talk about going back there”, her mother groaned. 

“I don’t have much of a choice.  I live there”, Sansa sighed.  More and more that was something she felt she had to change.  But until everything was cast in stone, she would not give her family what could be false hope.

Feeling a little guilty, Sansa excused herself to the bathroom and took her phone with her.  Sitting on the edge of the bath, she entered her pin code and opened Jon’s text.

_We’ll just have to get some sort of virtual pet for ourselves instead of the real thing!  I think I’ll engage with the world and seek out some noise by going to visit Sam, Gilly and the kids.  Rhae can’t wait to meet you.  See you on Tuesday.  Have fun tonight!  Jon._

Sansa smiled, and sent off a last message saying she would see him on Tuesday and was equally looking forward to meeting his sister.  If someone had told her before this trip that she would happily spend a Sunday afternoon texting Jon Snow, Sansa would never have believed them. 

She flushed the toilet in case anyone was hovering outside and sighed heavily.  She simply had to put Jon Snow out of her mind.  Nothing would come of it, and she would only cause herself pain.  But forgetting Jon would be easier said than done.

**********

Jon spotted Rhae as soon as he entered the bar where he’d arranged to meet her.  She was sitting at a table with two cocktails in front of her, and was absolutely engrossed in her phone.  He smiled to himself, and walked over to her.

“I hope one of those drinks is for me.”  Rhae looked up from her phone and her face lit up.

“Jon!”  She stood up, and hugged him tightly.  “I have missed you, baby brother!  You look great.”

“Thanks.  So do you.  Managed to figure out what to wear to the theatre, then?”  She was wearing a knee-length black dress and heels that had Jon thinking he’d rather go barefoot than attempt to walk in them. 

“Decided you can’t go wrong with a little black dress”, she shrugged.  “Sit down.  And yes, one of these is for you.”

“Wow”, Jon coughed as he took a drink of the cocktail.  It had quite a kick to it.

“So, how are you?  Why are you so late?  I was starting to worry.”

“Sorry.  I had a meeting with Mormont about a case I’m working on.  It’s pretty complicated and I want to do well on it.  It’s the first really big one they’ve given me since I moved over to Appeals”, he told her.  “And when you’re meeting with the big boss, you wait until he tells you that you can leave.”

“Sounds like staff meetings with the Nursing Director”, Rhae laughed. 

“How was the first day of your conference?” he asked. 

“Alright.  It was mostly about budgeting and staff management today.  A bit dry, but necessary.  I got talking to a woman from out west – Colorado – about some stuff.  Anyways, it is boring to anyone who isn’t a Nurse Manager.”

“It’s tomorrow you’re meeting Dany for lunch?” Rhae nodded.  “I have pictures of the house she helped me do up, since you won’t be able to come and see it for yourself.  You’ll need to come for a proper holiday and stay with me.”

Jon took out his phone, and scrolled through to find the pictures he’d taken as soon as everything had been unpacked.  While Jon was by no means a slob, he had wanted evidence that his home had once been immaculate.  He handed over the phone, and told her to swipe left to move on to the next one.

“Wow”, she breathed.  “This looks stunning.  Dany knows her stuff, doesn’t she?  You think she could do something with my crummy apartment?”

“Dany can do pretty much anything.  If she wanted to, she could consider world domination a future career move.”  Rhae laughed, and handed back his phone.  “Sansa texted me this morning to say she’d meet us at the stage door.  She’s ordered a car to take us to the restaurant after.”

“Don’t worry, little brother, I’ll be cool.” 

“You always are.  Sansa’s – she’s a good person.  She’s really down to earth and not a shallow Hollywood stereotype.”  Jon felt a smile grow across his face as he spoke about her.  Most of the time he was able to control himself when thinking about Sansa.  Still, perhaps he should change the subject.

“How’s Aegon?”

“He’s fine”, Rhae sighed.  “I don’t know why the two of you can’t get on like grown men – well, I do, but I don’t get why he doesn’t even give you a chance.”

“Because I’m a walking, talking reminder that his father cheated on his mother.  And he can’t forgive that.  He doesn’t want to take it out on Rhaegar, because he loves the man, so he takes it out on me.” 

And Jon had mostly made his peace with that.  His relationship with Rhaegar was improving, and from the moment he’d met them, Jon had got on well with Rhaenys, Daenerys and Rhaella. 

“Anyway, how is our brother?”

“Good.  He’s started seeing Valaena Velaryon.  Her father, Monford, is an old friend of dad’s.  They’ve known each other for years.  I still don’t quite understand what it is he does for a living, but it is in finance, and he seems to like it.  Egg was – he’s old enough to remember our mother being ill, but not enough to remember her being well, as I can”, Rhae sighed.  “Maybe one day the two of you can move past this and get along.”

“Maybe”, Jon shrugged.  He took a look at his watch and then downed the remainder of his cocktail, ignoring the burn it caused at the back of his throat.  “Speaking of getting along, we better do that ourselves or we’ll miss the start of the play.”

Jon found himself enjoying the play even more the second time than he had the first.  He even managed to pick out subtle differences in Sansa’s performance – the way she held herself, or her emphasis during a couple of lines.  He figured this was her equivalent of redrafting an opening statement for court. 

Jon might speak in front of an audience in court, but there was a shy streak inside him and he’d always hated public speaking.  It left him in awe that Sansa was able to stand on stage night after night delivering such a performance with the confidence she did.  He recalled the slight panic attack she’d had before her previews had started and hoped the little he’d said had helped. 

“Wow.  That was amazing”, Rhae said when the play had finished and they were gathering up their things. 

“I know.  It was amazing the first time I saw it too.”  Jon led Rhae out of the theatre and round to the stage door, where Sansa had arranged to meet them. 

It was a warm evening, so Jon found he didn’t mind standing around waiting for Sansa.  They weren’t the only ones.  There was a reasonably-sized group of young men and women waiting for autographs. 

Eventually, Sansa came out of the stage door.  She signed a few programs and posed for some pictures before coming over to them.  “Sorry for the wait”, she smiled.

“Its fine”, Jon assured her.  He introduced Sansa to Rhae, and then held the car door open while the two women climbed in. 

It was a short trip to Astapor.  Jon sat quietly in the back seat of the limo, facing Sansa and Rhae as the two of them spoke about the play and Sansa asked Rhae about her plans while she was in New York.  She also gave what she said was her standard disclaimer when speaking to those working in the medical profession – she only reads the lines she’s given, so if anything isn’t accurate it’s not her fault.

“This is the same table as last time”, Sansa observed when they were seated at the restaurant.  Another table had been joined to it, making it a four rather than a two, but it was in the same position, Jon realized. 

“You’ve been here before, then?” Rhae asked. 

“Dany brings me here a lot”, Jon told her as he opened the wine list.  “And Sansa and I had lunch here once.”

“When you took pity on me and my mountain of shopping bags”, sighed Sansa.  “Are we going to order wine?”

“Rhae, I can’t remember if it’s white or red you drink”, said Jon. 

“I’ll take either”, she shrugged.

“Red it is, then.”  Jon ordered a bottle of wine for them.  Rhae excused herself and went to the bathroom, giving Jon some time alone with Sansa. 

“Thank you for organizing the tickets.  Rhae loved the play”, said Jon.  

Sansa waved off his thanks.  “Its fine – like I said before, you sorted out everything for me when I wanted to go and see the National.”

“I, uh, it was a little different from when I went before.  Not massively, but you changed some things.”

“You noticed?”  Sansa seemed surprised.  Jon nodded.

“Was I not meant to notice?”

“I just meant there are critics who don’t pick up on these things.  If you ever consider a career change……”  Jon laughed. 

“I don’t think that’s on the cards, no.  I’m happy where I am.  I’ve got a big hearing coming up for the case I’m working on.  It is pretty complicated, and there’s a reasonable chance I’m going to lose regardless of how good my argument is.”

“Does that bother you?  That you can do everything right and it still doesn’t quite work out?”  Sansa asked. 

“A little.  It used to when I first started out and I thought everything had to be perfect.  Now I think a few flaws are a good thing, and that sometimes there is nothing I can do to get the verdict I want.  How about you?  Did you start out thinking every performance had to be like that?”

Sansa looked at him thoughtfully.  “Yes.  I think I thought everything had to be perfect first time.  But you had the right of it when you said I’d made changes even since the previews started.  My performances are more organic now and I see that making a mistake just helps you to see what the right thing to do is.”

“I suppose life is a bit like that”, Jon mused aloud. 

He wondered if he’d still find himself unbearably attracted to Sansa if things had gone a different way with Ygritte or Val.  Both women had helped him understand what he wasn’t looking for as much as they had helped him see what he wanted. 

“If we’re going to go deep into the meaning of life at this time of night, I’ll need more wine”, laughed Sansa. 

Jon tried to focus on something that wasn’t her or the voice at the back of his mind telling him she’d be gone in eight or nine weeks.  He hoped that when she returned to visit – and she’d said repeatedly that was something she intended to do more often – he would be one of the select few she spent time with. 

Rhae returned from the bathroom, and started gushing about how fancy it was.  “Seriously, I count myself lucky if the restrooms in the places I go to back home are clean.”

“I’ve never been to New Orleans”, said Sansa.  “I was offered a job there, but I had to turn it down when the filming schedule changed.  I’d like to go for a visit sometime.”

“Come during Mardi Gras”, Rhae recommended.  “And try and encourage this one to come visit me too.”

“I will come visit”, Jon promised.  “I can’t say when, but I want to.”

He felt a little guilty that for all the times he promised Rhae this, he had yet to fly south to see her.  Each and every time they’d met, it had been in New York. 

“So, my dad told me you know lots of silly stories about Jon.  Ones he won’t tell the rest of us”, Rhae grinned wickedly.  Jon groaned, but Sansa seemed to take pity on him. 

“Jon wasn’t that bad.  Looking back, I think Robb was very much the instigator.”

“Thank you”, said Jon approvingly.  Clearly he was in luck – the stories Sansa told Rhae for the remainder of their meal weren’t that bad, save for the one in which he and Robb had been told off when her father discovered the two fifteen year olds with a copy of Playboy they’d got one of the older kids to buy for them.

“I better head back.  I try not to be too late in case I disturb Robb and Jeyne”, said Sansa once they’d finished their meal.  “It was lovely meeting you, Rhae.  It’s always nice to be able to put a face to a name, and Jon talks about you a lot.  I think you might be his favourite sister.”

Rhae turned to grin at him.  “I’m your only sister.”

“Which makes you an excellent choice for my favourite one”, Jon told her.  He stood up when Sansa did, and hugged her goodbye.  “Thanks again for tonight.  I’ll see you soon?”

“You will”, Sansa nodded.  “Goodnight.”

“Night”, Jon said softly.  He watched as she walked through the restaurant and went out of sight, before turning back around and sitting down next to Rhae. 

“She’s nice”, said Rhae, before downing the remainder of her glass of wine. 

“Yeah, she’s pretty cool”, agreed Jon.  “We better get a move on ourselves.  I’ve further to go than you, and we both need to be up early in the morning.”


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon and Sansa share a moment..........

Sansa chopped the vegetables with a growing ferocity. 

She’d thought that her arrangement with Loras would prevent speculation about her private life in the tabloid press, and with the sole exception of their rumoured engagement that had been the case.  Sadly, Brienne’s prediction that they would switch from said rumours to gossip about an anticipated break-up if she denied the engagement rumours too strongly appeared to be accurate. 

And so here she was, late on a Saturday morning, preparing lunch with a growing tension building up in her body.  It had been four days since Jeyne’s birthday, and three since Sansa had logged onto a news website – what she had previously believed to be a respectable news site – to see an article with links to a tabloid story about her. 

The article was entitled _LA Medics Actress in Potential Love Triangle_ , and featured a picture taken outside the restaurant they’d been to for Jeyne’s birthday.  In it, Jon (mercifully unidentified by name) was hugging her goodnight before getting into his cab. 

Sansa had blown a gasket and called Brienne immediately, pointing out that the person who took the picture most likely also saw Jeyne and Robb hug Jon.  She’d also had to endure an extremely awkward telephone call from Margaery, who asked if there was anything going on between Sansa and Jon – and if that had been the reason for Jon’s rejection of her. 

Sansa had forced herself to be as honest as she could without outright lying to Margaery.  She gave her best friend the same explanation as the one she’d given to Brienne. 

Sansa told Margaery that nothing had happened between her and Jon.  Not wanting to complicate matters for either of them, Sansa neglected to add that she very much wanted it to. 

After the roasting her credit card had taken the last time the tabloid press had written lies about her, Sansa had decided that this time she would put her anger to good use and had been cooking and baking more than normal over the last few days. 

Thankfully Robb and Jeyne had stopped resisting her offers of help.  She set aside the chopped vegetables and began marinating the chicken in lemon juice. 

When her phone rang, Sansa quickly washed her hands and answered it.  “Hello, Brienne.”

“Sansa, how are you?  Any better since the last time we spoke?”

“Still fuming”, she sighed.  “Mostly, I wish they would leave me alone.  How are you?  Back any better?”

“A bit.  I just overstretched it a little in my yoga class.  No harm, no foul.  Word has got out in town that you’re either on or considering a sabbatical.  I’ve had a number of casting agents contacting me about your availability.  Are you taking a break when _Alayne_ finishes, or are you looking to get straight back in the saddle again?”

“It depends on the role.”  Sansa was past the point of working for the sake of it.  Her mortgage was paid off, and she could pick and choose her roles now.  “E-mail me the casting calls and I’ll have a look through them.  Brienne?”

“Yeah?”

“Are they, uhm, are they all LA-based?”

“Mostly.  There are a few location shoots.  You wanting to sleep in your own bed for a while?”

“I was just wondering”, Sansa replied evasively.  She had yet to tell Brienne she was more in favour of moving back to New York than not.  This business with the tabloid picture was swaying her slightly.  Overall, she had actually been photographed far less since coming home. 

“Send them all through and I’ll check them out.  I’ll call on Monday to give you my preliminary thoughts, and see if we can count some in or out.”

“Speak to you then.  Enjoy your weekend.”

“You too.  Bye.”

Sansa ended the call and finished preparing the chicken.  She set aside everything she’d been using for their lunch, and brought out the ingredients she needed for a batch of blueberry muffins.  Strictly speaking, she preferred lemon muffins, but Sansa figured given the lunch she was making that would be overkill. 

She weighed and sieved the flour, whisked the eggs and added the sugar.  She was about to start in on the blueberries themselves when there was a knock at the door. 

Sansa went over to answer it, and was pleasantly surprised to find Jon on the other side.  “Oh”, she gasped. 

She stood aside to let him in, and wished she wasn’t wearing Jeyne’s Smurfs apron.  “I’d give you a hug, but you’d end up covered in flour and that doesn’t go so well with black.”

“You’re the expert on fashion”, Jon shrugged.  “It’s very quiet here.  Eerily so, in fact.”

“They went to the park for a few hours.  I’m making our lunch – you should stay.”  _Please do_.

“Yeah, that would be great.  Thanks.”  He coughed and scratched the back of his neck.  “I actually only stopped by to drop off this book for Robb.  It’s – it’s a lawyer thing, not the kind of bedtime reading you’d be after.  Unless, of course, you’ve got insomnia.”

“Not so much.”  He followed her over to the kitchen.  “I figured my credit card would prefer me to cook my way through my tabloid angst.  I’m so, so sorry they involved you in it this time.”

“Sansa, it isn’t your fault.  These people are just the scum of the earth.  Besides, the picture was taken from behind.  Only the four of us and the few people who were able to identify me know.  And none of them believe what the gossip columnists are saying.  Please, I don’t want you to worry about me.  I don’t blame you.  I would never blame you.”

“Thanks”, she replied shyly.  Jon wasn’t used to giving grand pronouncements, so she found it all the sweeter.  She turned to the counter and tried to focus on her muffins.

“Blueberry muffins?”  Sansa nodded.  She separated the mixture into the waiting cases and put them in the oven to warm. 

As she tidied up, Jon told her about the court hearing he had on Tuesday.  He was a lot more passionate about his job than Robb was, Sansa mused as she listened to him. 

More and more she was understanding why he persisted in a career at the PD’s Office rather than join Robb in the more lucrative world of private practice. 

Finished tidying, Sansa removed Jeyne’s apron and hung it up on the usual hook and turned to Jon.  He was grinning at her.  “What?”

“You’ve got flour – “  He pointed at her face. 

“Oh.”  Sansa was mortified.  She started to lift her hand to wipe it off, but Jon beat her to it.  She felt a soft thumb swipe away the flour, as he cradled her cheek.  Sansa took a sharp intake of breath, and leaned into his touch. 

Her eyes fluttered slightly, but she fought to keep them open and locked on Jon’s.  There was something in his eyes she couldn’t identify. 

_Gods, she wanted him_.

Sansa opened her mouth, unsure what to say, but needing to convey something to him.  No words came out, and the moment was lost as Robb, Jeyne and the children trooped in the door.  Sansa felt the loss of Jon’s touch, and noted that he had stepped back. 

She shook herself out of her stupor and glanced at his face to see the look she’d seen before had gone.  Jon’s face was blank. 

“Jon, how are you?”  Jeyne asked.  As she walked over to them, Sansa noticed for the first time that there was a decent hint of a bump in her belly. 

“I’m good”, Jon coughed.  “I had to come into the city to drop something off at work, so I figured I might as well bring this over before I forgot.”

Jon handed Robb the book, before scooping up Neddy and asking his godson if he’d enjoyed his time at the park.  Sansa wondered how he could be so nonchalant after the moment they’d shared.  Though as she fought the loud beating of her heart, Sansa wondered if she’d imagined the look in his eyes when they’d locked on hers. 

“Sansa?” She felt Jeyne touch her arm.  “Are you alright.”

Sansa composed herself.  “I’m fine.  Oh, I asked Jon to stay for lunch – I hope you don’t mind.  I figured since he was here already you’d want him to be asked.”

“Jon has an open invitation to stay for food whenever he wants”, Robb put in.  He looked at her.  “Are you sure you’re feeling alright?”

“I’m fine”, Sansa groaned.  “Listen, I’ll just be a minute – Brienne’s sending me some work stuff through and I’ll see it better on my iPad.”

She excused herself, and plastered a smile on her face until she reached her bedroom and closed the door behind her.  Sansa sunk down to the floor.  She felt as if she were going a little mad.  It struck her that with the arrangement with Loras, she hadn’t been with a man since Harry. 

Was that all this was?  Her carnal needs asserting themselves?  No, she decided.  Her fluttery feelings around Jon Snow went far too deep for that.  Besides, she had a top of the range vibrator that had more than seen her through the last year or so. 

Sansa took a deep breath in, grabbed her iPad, and went back through to the kitchen.  She had almost forgotten the muffins, and was relieved when the timer went off as she hadn’t been paying attention to them.  Sansa set her iPad down on the table, and went to remove them from the oven. 

“Baking’s up!” Sansa called.  She was immediately swarmed, and felt a fuzzy sense of appreciation in her gut. 

“Nurgh!  Amazing”, Robb spluttered through a mouthful.  “Please clone yourself and leave the clone here to bake for me for the rest of my life.”

“Because that’s not at all weird”, laughed Jeyne.  “These muffins are amazing though.  Aren’t they, Jon?”

“Absolutely stunning”, he said quietly, looking straight at Sansa.  She couldn’t hold the intensity of his gaze or even begin to think about investigating it, so she muttered some thanks, and sat down at the table to flick through the e-mails on her iPad. 

She found Brienne’s instantly, and tried to use the casting calls attached to the e-mail as a means of distraction until she needed to get to work on the lemon chicken.  On a professional level, these casting calls were important as a means of giving Sansa an idea of the roles she would be offered outside LA Medics. 

Sansa opened the first one, and immediately disregarded it.  She was not spending three months on a remote location shoot in Alaska.  Even if it was for a movie directed by the lauded Arthur Dayne.  Yes, she wanted to work with the man.  Just not in Alaska.  Her knee bounced nervously as she went through them and came up with excuse after excuse. 

In the end, there were three or four roles that Sansa felt she had an interest in.  She typed up a quick e-mail to Brienne with their casting calls attached, and wrote that she would call her on Monday as arranged to discuss them in more detail, then Brienne could send over the relevant scripts so she could investigate further. 

If there was one thing that had Sansa relieved, it was that finding new work wouldn’t be much of an issue.

She’d wait until the job offers became concrete, but as she sat in Robb’s kitchen surrounded by her favourite people, Sansa decided that the LA Medics part of her life was over.  At some point over the next week or so she would call Brienne and ask her to tell Selmy that the contract offer was fantastic, but she wouldn’t be signing it.

**********

“You win some, you lose some”, sighed Mormont as he clapped Jon on the shoulder.  Their appeal on behalf of Mance Ryder had failed, and Jon was feeling a tad downcast that his first Appeals case had gone this way.

“Yes, sir”, Jon replied. 

“It wasn’t your fault – if you ask me, that judge was thinking far too much about the current political climate and not enough about due process”, Mormont added grimly. 

“Too many of these judges are afraid the new Administration won’t recommend them for promotion if they aren’t harsh enough on this sort of thing.  You did everything you could.  But if the judge won’t play ball, he won’t play ball, simple as that.”

Jon nodded.  “I’ll get the paperwork on the case written up and filed away in the next day or so.”

“Good.  Once you’ve done that, we’ll get you another case.  And don’t think I’ll shy away from giving you more stuff like this.  You do a good job, Snow.  But we can’t control everything.”

Jon left Mormont’s office feeling deflated, but determined.  He recalled the sweet text message he’d received from Sansa that morning to wish him luck in the hearing, and figured he should return it at some point and let her know the outcome. 

When he returned to his own office, he saw that his secretary was in a good mood and commented on it – she’d clearly been a little nervous when he’d swung by the office that morning on his way to court.

“It’s really nothing you’d be interested in, Mr. Snow”, she replied bashfully. 

“Try me.  I could use some cheering up.”

“Just a mother’s silly pride.  My son, Billy, he works as a lighting and camera assistant on SNL, and he found out today that they’d been nominated for the Emmys.  Not that Billy will be one of those at the ceremony, but for him to work on the show and have it be nominated………”

“I know”, Jon smiled.  “So these nominations were announced today?”

“This morning”, she confirmed.

“Tell your son congratulations, Morna.  I like SNL – I hope it does well.”  Morna nodded happily, and went back to whatever she’d been working on. 

Jon bit his lip, and wandered into his own office.  He logged back into his computer and immediately googled _Emmy nominations_.  He clicked on the link to the official website and looked for the drama section.  Sure enough, LA Medics had been nominated for Best Drama Series.  He was disappointed to see that Sansa hadn’t been nominated (though neither had any of her cast mates).

He took his phone out of his pocket, and typed out a text to her.

_Despite all your good wishes, the hearing was a bust.  Mormont puts it down to politics, and says it won’t affect the cases I’m assigned going forward.  Not that it’ll be much consolation for my client, who is stuck in jail.  On a happy note, congratulations on the Emmy nomination for your show.  Personally I think you deserved an individual nomination, but as your friend I’m completely biased.  Hope your day is going well – though I figure it has to be at this point.  Jon._

Jon put his phone away, and pulled up the Rayder file.  Before he could move onto the next case, there were notes on the hearing itself and a number of administrative pieces he had to complete.  He would also need to have a case closure meeting with Rayder over the next couple of days.  The man had assured Jon he didn’t hold him to account, but that didn’t alleviate Jon’s guilt at them not getting the desired verdict. 

His phone pinged. 

_My day is going great, but I’m gutted to hear about your verdict.  I’m sure Mormont knows far more about the reasons it didn’t work out than I do.  And thanks, but I wasn’t expecting an individual nomination.  It’s a group effort and it is right that the group as a whole are recognized.  I hope your day gets better.  Sansa._

At this point, Jon figured the only thing that could truly make his day better was seeing her.  And he knew how dangerous that was.  He thought back to Saturday when he’d found her alone at Robb’s after going to drop off that damned book.  She’d looked so adorable in Jeyne’s Smurfs apron, baking muffins. 

He loved that she did stuff like that.  He loved that she wasn’t prissy about getting her hands dirty – that she didn’t expect everyone to do everything for her, even though Jon figured she was probably rich enough to hire a chef and an army of cleaners. 

And then there was the smudge of flour on her cheek.  It had almost merged into the alabaster of her skin, but he could see it.  Before he’d engaged his mind, his thumb was swiping it away.  He couldn’t be sure, but he thought she’d leaned into his touch.  Just a little.  He could be imagining it.  Wishful thinking. 

And then before either of them could say anything, Robb and Jeyne had returned.  Perhaps it was for the best. 

Jon knew nothing could happen between them beyond friendship.  Most of the time, he was alright with that – after all, it was better than not having her in his life at all.  At others, he had to properly restrain himself from telling her how he felt. 

Writing the day off as pretty much a loss, Jon decided he would pick up some beers and a takeaway on his way home and spend the evening vegging out on the sofa watching bad TV.

The meeting with Mance Rayder didn’t proceed as badly as he’d imagined, and Mormont made good on his promise not to hold the verdict against Jon. 

The next case he was given was a murder appeal – Theon Greyjoy had been convicted of murdering a young boy, Walder Frey.  The evidence was circumstantial, and Mormont felt there were a number of other candidates for the role of killer. 

All in all, Jon was feeling in a more positive frame of mind professionally speaking by the time he visited Robb and Jeyne on Friday night.  He was running late after a visit to the high security facility Greyjoy was being held in upstate, and only just arrived in time to wish Lyarra and Neddy goodnight. 

Robb sat him down at the kitchen table with a glass of red wine while Jeyne put the children to bed.  “Rough day?”

“Not too bad”, Jon sighed.  “The week ended better than I thought it would at times.  How about you?”

“Busy.  We’re negotiating for a client on a merger and it is hell.  Remind me, please, why I went into litigation?”

“You fell into the legal profession, and figured litigation sounded a lot better than arguing in court for a living?” Jon supplied. 

Robb laughed.  “Yeah, I guess it was something like that.”

“Are you and Jeyne still on for Monday?” Jon asked him. 

“What’s Monday again?” Jeyne asked as she walked into the room.

“I invited the two of you and Sansa, and a few other people, over for dinner for my birthday”, Jon reminded her.  Strictly speaking his birthday was on Tuesday, but he knew Sansa had Monday nights off and he wanted her to be there. 

“Yeah, we’re fine”, Jeyne replied.  “Lyarra and Neddy are going to stay with the grandparents for the night, so we’ll be able to stay out past curfew.”

“Good to know”, laughed Jon.  Jeyne sat down opposite him, and Robb started to serve out the chilli. 

“I wonder if mom and dad will be so accommodating when they’ve got three young, screaming grandchildren”, said Robb.  He placed Jon’s dinner in front of him.

“Thanks”, said Jon.  “There were five of you.  I think Ned and Catelyn will manage.  You’ll need to have a few more before they start to freak.”

“Not immediately”, Jeyne replied quickly.  “Let’s just get this one safely out first.”

She patted her growing bump, and Jon felt a small pang of envy towards Robb.  Growing up believing himself to be the only child of an only child, he’d always imagined himself having a Stark-sized brood when he was older.  But Ygritte and Val hadn’t wanted that sort of life with him, and he had yet to find someone who did. 

“Who else have you invited over for Monday?” Robb asked as he sat down.

“Sam and Gilly.  Grenn and Violet.  Pyp and Edd.  Dany and Daario.  The two of you.  Sansa.  That would make twelve of us, but Dany is out of the state until Tuesday and Pyp and Edd signed up for overtime they need.  So, that puts us down to eight.” 

He was very much aware that with Pyp and Edd unable to come, it would be him, Sansa and three couples.  Jon knew he could hardly complain about Pyp and Edd’s absence when he knew they needed the overtime pay because he was no longer living in the apartment and contributing to rent and bills. 

They had someone else lined up to move in, but Satin Flowers wasn’t arriving until the following month.

“You’re cooking for eight?  Rather you than me”, said Robb. 

“It’s nothing exciting, just spaghetti bolognese and garlic bread”, Jon shrugged.  “I’ll get most of it sorted on Sunday.  And I’ll pick up some of those mini-cheesecakes from the deli round the block.  They were amazing.  You should come over between six and seven.”

“A night out.  When was the last time we had one of those?” Jeyne asked.

“My parents’ anniversary”, Robb reminded her.  “And before that Sansa’s opening night.  And before that our anniversary.”

“Maybe we have had some nights out recently.”  She shrugged.  “Have to take advantage of them while we can.”

“And you had that spa day with Sansa”, Robb added.  He turned to Jon.  “So, time to turn thirty.  Freaking out yet?”

“Not really.  I have great friends, I – bizarrely – have more close family than I did when I turned twenty-one, I have a job I love doing and I have a new house I love.  I’m not too badly off.” 

_I’m just missing someone to share it with, and if I had my way it’d be the person who very recently sat round this table with us for weeks on end listening to me talking rubbish and laughing at Robb’s silly jokes._

Jon wished he could just click his fingers and not feel the way he did about Sansa.  As much as he hated to admit Dany was right, Jon couldn’t see this ending any other way than his heart breaking. 

Eight more weeks and she would be leaving New York and returning to LA.  She would live on one side of the continental US, and he would live on the other.  Maybe they would continue with the text messages they seemed to send every two or three days, or speak on the phone once in a while. 

But it wouldn’t be the same. 

It wouldn’t be the same as sitting opposite her in Robb and Jeyne’s kitchen or a restaurant, and listening to whatever she had to say.  It wouldn’t be the same as seeing her smile light up her face.  It wouldn’t be the same as looking into those beautiful blue eyes and drowning in them. 

And it wouldn’t be the same without the home-made cookies and muffins she’d brought into his life.  It wouldn’t be the same without _her_.  And that pained him. 

Jon moved a little of the chilli around his plate.  He had to move past this Sansa thing at some point in the next eight weeks or he would go insane.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jon's friends gather to help him celebrate his thirtieth birthday..........

Jon Snow was most certainly _not_ a dinner party kind of guy.  He had been to a few held by other people, but had never really hosted one himself. 

For once he had run out of work a little early, finishing at five, and had headed home to start on the food.  He’d done the preparation the night before – including removing the table linen Daenerys had insisted he buy from the drawer and placing it on the table. 

His Jedi clock read six thirty, and the food was simmering away nicely, when his first guests arrived.  Sam and Gilly brought wine and a box of chocolates.  They were swiftly followed by Grenn and Violet, who brought more wine. 

Jon had calculated he’d bought enough to go around and then some when he’d visited the local wine store on Saturday, taking into account that neither Jeyne (pregnant) nor Gilly (driving) would be drinking alcohol.  With this extra wine, his stores had expanded further.

Robb, Jeyne and Sansa arrived last, full of apologies.

“Sorry.  Lyarra wouldn’t settle when we dropped them off at Ned and Catelyn’s”, said Jeyne.  “Ever since we told her about the baby, she’s had a tendency to get a little clingy at times.”

“And Sansa used up the last of the hot water, so I had to wait for the heater to warm up before I could have a shower”, added Robb. 

“It isn’t my fault your building has an antiquated system for heating water”, Sansa replied through gritted teeth.  “How was I supposed to know I’d used up the last of it?  The bathtub doesn’t come with a warning telling me I’ve used it all up, Robb.”

“Well, it’s nice to see you all anyway”, Jon told them.

“Happy birthday”, said Sansa pointedly as she moved forward first.  She hugged him tightly, and he resisted the temptation to remind her that, technically speaking, his birthday wasn’t until tomorrow. 

He also resisted the temptation to keep hold of her for longer than he did. 

“Yeah, same here”, said Robb.  As Jeyne passed on her own birthday wishes with a hug, he could hear Sansa and Robb settling their argument in the background.  Jeyne winced slightly, but she shook her head when he raised an eyebrow. 

When Jeyne let go of him, Jon turned round and took in Sansa properly.  She was wearing a black halter-neck dress that flared out and came to a stop just above her knees.  She looked stunning.  Jon had to stop himself from running his eyes up and down her long alabaster legs over and over again. 

Sansa also seemed to be carrying a gift bag that she handed over. 

“Just a little thing”, she said.  Jon smiled and thanked her. 

“Uh, you should all go through and I’ll bring you some drinks”, he coughed.  “Yeah, drinks.”

Jon went through to the kitchen to pour out wine for Robb and Sansa, and some pineapple juice for Jeyne.  Now the last of his guests were here, he put the garlic bread on to warm.  

Jon knew he was going to have to work very hard tonight to stop himself from spending all of it gawping at Sansa.  Jon shook his head.  He had become a bit of a lovesick idiot and he had to try and snap out of it.  He had six other guests in the house besides Sansa.  He could distract himself by thinking about that. 

And very much not thinking about how soft her skin had felt when he’d touched her cheek that Saturday. 

No.  No.  Not going to think about that.

“Do you need a hand?”  Jon jumped at the sound of Robb’s voice.  He turned round.  “Sorry, didn’t mean to frighten you.  I just figured three or four drinks into one person didn’t work, and you could use some help carrying them through.”

“Oh, uh, yeah, that would be great”, Jon replied.  _Get your act together_. 

He handed Robb a glass of red for himself and pineapple juice for Jeyne, before grabbing Sansa’s glass and the half-full one he’d been drinking from himself. 

“Food should be ready in around ten”, Jon announced as he handed Sansa her drink. He sat down on the edge of the sofa next to Sam. 

“I was saying to Gilly before, we should have taken you out for your birthday instead of letting you do all this work yourself”, he said. 

“It’s fine.  I don’t mind”, Jon replied.  “Besides, we don’t have to deal with any other people here.  I forgot to ask when I saw you at the office earlier – did you and Gilly end up booking that vacation?”

“We did.  A full week in Atlantic City with the boys.  We’re going a fortnight before Little Sam has to go back to school.  Have you booked anything yet?”

“Nope.  Dany is taking a house in the Hamptons for the summer, and she’s pretty much given me an open invitation to visit whenever.  And when Rhae was here last week she invited me to come down to stay with her”, said Jon. 

He still hadn’t made his mind up, but he wouldn’t take more than a couple of days off together before the fall school term started – it wasn’t fair on those with children for him to tie up the office vacation schedule.

Jon looked up to see Robb in front of him.  “I really, really hate to do this to you, but I think we need to head.”

“You just got here.  Is everything alright?” Jon asked anxiously, very much aware that Jeyne was only four months gone.

“Everything’s fine”, she assured him, hand on her back.  He figured that was what had been bothering her when she arrived.  “This baby just doesn’t understand that my spine isn’t a squeeze toy.”

“You could lie down upstairs for a while if you wanted.  I could hold dinner.”  Jeyne shook her head, and patted his hand. 

“Robb’s already called a cab.  I need more than a lie down, sweetie.  I need a long bubble bath, followed by a lie down with lots of cushions.  You can’t hold dinner that long, or it’ll turn into a midnight feast.”  Her laugh calmed any fears Jon had.  “I’m really sorry to do this to you on your birthday.”

“My birthdays come once a year.  This baby only comes once in a lifetime”, he told Jeyne as he hugged her gingerly. 

“You should stay, Sansa”, Robb told his sister. 

“Are you sure?  You don’t need any help or anything?”  Sansa looked nervous, and Jon suddenly realized that she had been in LA when Jeyne had been pregnant before. 

“Its fine”, Jeyne assured her.  “Sansa, you have one night off a week and I forbid you to spend it searching for bath salts and babysitting me.  That’s why they make you swear the vows.”

Sansa laughed.  She hugged Jeyne and then Robb, and it seemed their cab was here almost immediately. 

“At least this way you’ll know it wasn’t your food that made her ill”, Robb joked as he helped Jeyne into the cab.  “Have a good night.”

“See you soon.”  Jon waved them off and went back inside.  He saw Sansa was still a little nervous.  “She’ll be fine.  Her back bothered her a little when she was pregnant with Neddy, if I remember rightly.”

“I didn’t know that.”  She seemed upset, so Jon sent a pleading look in Gilly’s direction. 

“It isn’t that uncommon.  Little Sam went for my back.  Aemon, on the other hand, went for my bladder.  I was up at the bathroom once every hour or two every night for the last three months.  Jeyne will be fine, you’ll see.”

“Thanks”, smiled Sansa.  “I – this is the first time I’ve stayed with them while Jeyne’s been pregnant.”

Seeing that Sansa had perked up a little, Jon went to check on the garlic bread and found it almost ready.  He shouted for everyone to move over to the table.  When he took the bread through, he found that Grenn and Violet were seated together on one side, and Sam and Gilly were together on the other. 

Sansa had taken the empty seat next to Gilly, meaning the logical seat for Jon to take was next to Violet – and opposite Sansa. 

He put the garlic bread down in the centre of the table, and went back through to the kitchen to start serving out the spaghetti onto plates.  It took a few trips through to the table, but Jon soon found himself eating a meal that actually wasn’t as bad as he had feared. 

His mother had made this for his birthdays when he was younger and he’d followed her old recipe, but this was the first time in months he’d made it. 

“This is amazing”, Violet told him.  “I love home-cooked food.  We usually just order in take-out or heat something in the microwave, don’t we?”

Grenn nodded.  “One of us should really learn to cook, though.  Last Christmas all the local take-outs sent us cards to thank us for our loyal custom.”

“It’s hard to summon the motivation sometimes when there’s only one or two of you”, Sansa sympathised. 

Jon nodded in agreement.  When he’d been living with Grenn – who, admittedly, spent a lot of time at Violet’s – Pyp and Edd, Jon had seldom put together anything adventurous for dinner unless he knew at least one of the others was looking for food around the same time. 

“So you don’t have a fancy chef who does all your cooking for you?”  Violet asked. 

“No”, Sansa laughed.  “There is a staff lunch trailer, but in the evenings if I want something to eat then I make it myself.  Unless I’m going out for dinner, but I only do that once every couple of weeks in LA.  If that.  Sorry to be boring, but…..”

“You’re not boring.  You’re really not boring”, Jon told her.  He smiled at her for a moment, catching her eye, and then broke the connection to offer Gilly another piece of garlic bread. 

“You only had the one slice.”

“One was enough for me.  I’ll not finish this enormous portion – or be able to eat one of those mini-cheesecakes I know you have for dessert – if I have more bread.”

“Mini-cheesecakes?  Like the ones from your house-warming?”  Sansa perked up. 

“Those are the ones – and I made sure I picked up some lemon ones.  I remembered you liked them.  Other flavours are available, though, to those who don’t.”

“Thank you”.  Sansa had a soft smile on her face, and Jon figured he could drown it if he stared at her lips long enough. 

 _She’s going back to LA in eight weeks.  Eight weeks.  Remember that.  Eight weeks from now, you’ll have an entire continent separating you_. 

Perhaps it was for the best that Dany was out of the state tonight.  She’d be watching him like a hawk and holding back the _I told you so_ he knew would come at some point soon.

The mini-cheesecakes from the deli went down well (although spaghetti bolognese had been within his capabilities, any sort of dessert was not – unless scooping ice cream from a tub and setting it on a plate counted), and Jon started to feel that the night was some sort of success. 

The only low point had been Robb and Jeyne having to leave early, but Jon understood their need to go.  He would text Robb in the morning to make sure she was alright. 

When they were all finished eating, they decamped to the sofa and Jon simply brought through a couple of bottles of wine with them so he could digest his food properly. 

“There is a portion of the evening you didn’t arrange for us”, Gilly told him.  “So Sam and I arranged it for you.”

“What?” Jon watched as she opened up a bag she’d brought with her and pulled out a cake tin.  Inside it was a lavishly decorated chocolate cake with _Happy Birthday Jon_ written in blue icing. 

“Next time you see Little Sam, you can thank him for his help.”

“What did he do?” Grenn asked. 

“He licked the bowl for me – made it easier to clean”, Gilly replied.  She set the cake down on the coffee table, produced a set of candles and a lighter, and soon everyone was embarrassing the hell out of him by singing _Happy Birthday_. 

Looking around the room, and thinking of those who couldn’t be there, Jon felt a deep sense of happiness inside.  He truly had the best friends in the world. 

**********

Sansa could sense Jon’s embarrassment from the other side of the coffee table as the last bars of _Happy_ _Birthday_ rang through his house.   It was one of the things she had come to love about him, how humble he was. 

In LA, she had seen actors and musicians and models and rich businessmen practically command the entire restaurant to sing their birthday wishes to someone.  Jon wasn’t like that.  If she pulled that stunt on Jon, Sansa knew he would openly cringe and possibly disappear under the table to hide. 

“Presents!”  Violet exclaimed when Jon had blown out his candles. 

“What did you wish for?” Grenn asked. 

Violet thumped her boyfriend’s arm.  “He can’t tell you that!  If he does, then his wish won’t come true.  Here, you can open our present first.”

Sansa sat patiently as Jon opened his other gifts.  As he opened Jeyne’s and Robb’s, she wondered if she should text her brother to check if Jeyne was feeling alright.  She decided not to.  They would call her if anything was truly amiss. 

Sansa was also a little nervous about Jon’s gift.  She had spent ages trying to think of something to give him that was personal but not overly so.

Sansa didn’t want to give him a gift that screamed _so we’re friends now, but I really, really wish we were more than that_.  In the end, she hoped she’d managed to get the balance right. 

“This is mine”, she told him shyly.  It was the last of those he had to open, and she watched nervously as he opened the gift bag and pulled out the silver tissue paper.  She’d taken inspiration from the vase he’d given her parents for their anniversary and gone with a personalized gift. 

“Wow, Sansa.  This is amazing”, Jon told her.  He had a wide grin on his face, and she heaved an internal sigh of relief. 

“I, uh, I got them to put your initials on”, she said, pointing at the front of the stylish black and silver hipflask.  Jon turned it around to inspect the engraving more closely, and his smile only grew. 

“Thank you”, he said softly.  He leaned over the coffee table and gave her a quick hug. 

Sam and Gilly begged off not long after the presents were opened, wanting to allow Gilly’s sister to return home at a reasonable hour.  It left Sansa with Jon, Grenn and Violet to enjoy another couple of glasses of wine. 

Sansa found that she liked Grenn and Violet, neither of whom she’d really got to know well during Jon’s house-warming.  Both were friendly, outgoing and never hesitant in speaking their minds.  Sansa hoped to see more of them in the future. 

She smiled at the thought of that.  _The future_.  It wasn’t confirmed yet, and Sansa wouldn’t tell anyone until it was, but she’d called Brienne that morning and asked her to arrange a meeting with Selmy to turn down the contract offer. 

Her character was headed off to Africa in the season finale, and they could simply give her an off-screen departure with a line of dialogue saying she wasn’t coming back.  Unfortunately, Barristan Selmy was at a press junket in Colorado Springs all week and wouldn’t return until Friday.  And both Sansa and Brienne agreed this was a conversation that should take place in person.

Brienne had apologized, and Sansa had told her there was no need for her to do so. 

And so, on Friday afternoon, once she got the call through from Brienne, Sansa intended to call a realtor to book an appointment for after _Alayne_ had finished.  She was quitting her job, selling her house, and moving back to New York. 

She was moving home, and having finally made the decision to do so couldn’t be happier.  Well, she could, but she doubted anything would happen soon on that score. 

Sansa had just topped up her wine glass when Grenn and Violet announced their departure. 

“Oh”, said Jon.  Sansa saw him glance at her wine glass.  “I thought you and Sansa could share a cab.”

“We’re spending the night at Vi’s.  Sorry”, said Grenn. 

“I’ll call a cab when I finish my glass of wine”.

“I didn’t mean it like that”, Jon told her.  “You can stay as late as you like, I just thought…….I mean, I figured you’d be heading in the same direction and might as well share.”

Sansa had to stop herself from smiling at how adorably awkward he looked.  Instead, she turned to Grenn and Violet.  “It was nice to meet you again.”

“You too”, said Violet.  Grenn nodded.  As Sansa sipped away at her wine, Jon saw his friends out the door. 

Sansa was grateful for the wine.  This was the first time she and Jon had been alone together since the day she’d been baking those damned muffins, and the wine helped calm her nerves. 

“There are a couple of the lemon mini-cheesecakes left over”, Jon told her when he returned.  “You could take them home with you if you wanted.”

“That sounds amazing.  I’m going to have to visit that deli myself.”  _When I move home, I can go once a week._  

“Why don’t you come through to the kitchen?  I need to load the dishwasher.  You could supervise?”

Sansa laughed.  “Because I’m such an expert in that area.”

“You always used to help Catelyn around the house and whenever she had parties.  I remember when your dad turned forty, you helped her decorate the house and organize his surprise party.”  Sansa followed him through to the kitchen. 

“I didn’t know you remembered that.”  Sansa was surprised.  She doubted her own brothers remembered how much work she’d put into it. 

“Yeah”, Jon nodded.  He opened the dishwasher and rinsed the dishes before stacking them.

“Gods, my feet are killing me”, sighed Sansa.  She took a sip from the glass of wine she’d brought through.  Her shoes were pretty, and went very well with her dress, but after a certain amount of time they had a tendency to kill her feet. 

“Then you have four choices”, Jon told her.  “You can take them off and wander around in bare feet – and unlike Robb and Jeyne’s, you’re unlikely to accidentally stand on a child’s toy – or you could go back through and sit down on the sofa, or you could bring a chair through, or you could sit on the worktop.”

“The worktop sounds the best solution”, Sansa reasoned.  It meant she could stay through here and continue talking to Jon, and she knew if her shoes came off she’d have a job getting them back on again to go home. 

She jumped up on the surface, and noted curiously the way Jon’s throat moved as she did so.  Sansa tried to dismiss it, but wasn’t very successful in doing so. 

“I invited Rhaegar to stay”, he told her.  “His tour finishes in the fall, and then he has a couple of overseas things to do.  But I invited him to come for a few days after.  To – to stay here.”

“Wow.  That’ll be the first time he’s stayed with you?”  Jon nodded.  She knew the two of them had been working to build a closer relationship recently, and figured this was a huge step – particularly for Jon. 

“I hope the two of you manage to work things out between you.”

“Me too.  I know we’ll never have the sort of relationship your brothers have with Ned, or anything like that.  We lost too much time.  But I’d like us to be closer than we are.”  Sansa smiled at him encouragingly.  She watched as he closed the dishwasher. 

“He liked you.”

“Rhaegar?” Jon nodded.  “I liked him.”

Jon walked over towards her.  “I, uh, the dishwasher tablets.”  He indicated the cupboard underneath the worktop Sansa was sitting on.

“Oops.  Sorry.”  She moved her legs out of the way while Jon opened the cupboard and took out the small tablet from a box. 

When she moved her legs back to their previous position, she caught Jon’s eyes.  That look was back, the one from the weekend before.  The one she’d thought was a figment of her imagination.  Acting on instinct, Sansa lifted her hand and cupped his cheek as he had hers. 

“Jon”, she whispered. 

She heard his breath hitch as their eyes remained locked.  She closed hers, and put her forehead to his.  She said his name again, and opened her eyes.  Jon’s eyes were darker than she could ever remember seeing them, and Sansa decided that instinct had served her well thus far. 

Sansa brought her hands to rest on the side of Jon’s face, and then ran her fingers through his messy curls.  She liked it when he wore his hair down like this.  She liked the moan he couldn’t seem to stop escaping his throat. 

“ _Sansa_.”  All it took was the moan of her name and she pulled him closer to her, pressing her lips to his. 

It was slow at first, simply the light touching together of their lips, but Jon seemed to come to and his mouth opened to her.  Sansa nibbled slightly on his bottom lip, and the moans it caused told her that he seemed to like it. 

Soon her tongue was dancing with his, and she could feel his strong, soft hands on either side of her waist, his thumbs drawing circles. 

She had wanted this for weeks, and now it was here Sansa couldn’t quite believe it was real. 

The heat in her belly began to warm even further, and she wrapped her legs around him, wanting to draw them closer together.  Gods, but it had been so long since she’d been really, truly kissed like this. 

If she ever had. 

She whimpered as Jon’s mouth moved away from hers, and along her jawline, and she rubbed her legs closer and closer to him, seeking some sort of friction. 

“So, so beautiful.  My sweet, sweet Sansa”, Jon murmured as he kissed his way down her neck.  He caught her off guard then, as he pulled her down from the worktop and carried her through to the living room. 

Sansa stayed silent as he walked through, but she could see how blown his eyes were and imagined her own were the same.  He lay her down on the sofa, her legs wide open.

Jon kept her right leg aloft, and ran his hand up and down it as returned to kissing her neck.  She moaned softly, feeling her pelvis tilt upwards towards Jon.  The more Jon offered her, the more she wanted him. 

“ _Jon_.  Gods, that’s good.  When in all seven hells did you learn how to do this?”

Jon chuckled softly against her neck, and she liked the tickle it caused.  Sansa never wanted this to end.  She never wanted anything other than this.  She canted her hips up further searching for relief. 

Jon seemed to sense something.  When she looked at him, he was kneeling on the sofa in between her legs. 

“Do you mind?  Can I?”  Jon asked.  He was running his fingertips up and down her calf, and his lips were close to her ankle.  Sansa nodded. 

Jon kissed his way up her leg, slowly, softly.  He was drawing it out, and Sansa knew that was making her whine even louder.  No man had ever taken his time making her feel this good.  And it just made her want Jon even more. 

He kissed behind her knee, where she was ticklish, and Sansa moaned loudly.  “ _Jon.  Gods, Jon_.”

“So beautiful”, he said softly.  “Gods, how I’ve wanted to do this to you.”

He continued up her thigh, and Sansa complained when he stopped.  “No, keep going.  Jon.  _Jon_.”

“Can I?” he whispered softly.  “Can I taste you, my sweet, sweet Sansa?”

“Yes.  Yes.  I don’t care which of the seven hells this sends me too”, Sansa told him.  Jon chuckled again, this time against her thigh. 

His kisses continued even further up her leg, until they reached her panties.  Those beautiful black, silk panties she had chosen simply because they went with the strapless black bra she’d worn under her halter-neck dress.

Jon kissed her mound outside her panties and she was practically screaming his name. 

“Take them off!” she all but screamed to him.  “ _Take them off!_ ”

Jon removed her panties slowly, tortuously.  Sansa could feel the heat in her belly increase again, and coil together.  And that only increased when he swept his tongue up her slit.  “ _Jon!  Jon!_ ”

His tongue moved inward, finding her clit and circling it over and over and over again.  Sansa could feel her orgasm build, and latched her fingers onto Jon’s unruly curls.  She moved his head closer and closer to herself, and yelled his name as she came. 

“I’ve got you.  I’ve got you”, he told her as she started to come down from her orgasm. 

As blank as her mind was at that moment, there was a voice at the back of it telling Sansa she had never, ever come as hard as that in her life. 

“Jon”, she whispered.  “Up here,”

She pulled him up and kissed his mouth, desperate to taste herself on him.  She’d not done much of this in years.  Harry was more interested in his own orgasm and had never brought her to one, and Joffrey considered oral sex a must to bring him off but never wanted to return the favour as he found it distasteful. 

She sensed a tangy scent, and figured it must be her.

“You taste good”, Jon told her.  He whispered it in her ear, before licking her jaw.  “If I never had to taste anyone else again it would be too soon.”

He moved his hands to the back of her neck, where the ties held her dress up.  He looked into her eyes for consent before detaching them, and Sansa nodded eagerly. 

At the start of the night, she’d not envisioned this happening.  She hadn’t been sure how Jon felt about her.  But now, she didn’t want anything else. 

 _Only him_. 

Jon pulled down the ties, and moved the fabric of her dress over her breasts before unhooking her bra.  He took one nipple in his mouth, and massaged her other breast with his hand.  Sansa moaned softly, and shifted her hips upwards again to meet his. 

She could feel how hard he was, but Jon didn’t seem to be hurrying her – for once, she had come across a man just as interested in her pleasure as he was in his own. 

He was content to wait and Sansa knew when he entered her, it would be _good_.

“Sansa.  My Sansa”, Jon muttered.  He shifted breasts, taking the other nipple in his mouth and kneading the one he’d previously teased with his tongue. 

Sansa could feel the start of another orgasm building, and moved his hand down from her breast towards her mound.  Jon took the hint, and pushed one finger and then another into her wetness. 

Sansa moaned loudly, ignoring the ringing sound that seemed to be coming from one or other of their phones.  Whomever it was could wait. 

There wasn’t anyone in the continental US who would deprive her of Jon and this. 

Jon moved his fingers and began circling her clit.  Sansa moaned in his mouth as he moved it from her nipple to her lips.  Why had nobody ever told her it could be this good?!

“My lovely, beautiful, wonderful Sansa”, Jon whispered in her ear.  His lips had moved back to her jawline and then up to suck on her earlobe, while his fingers continued to massage her clit. 

Why couldn’t that ringing noise go away?

“No, no”, Sansa muttered when Jon sat up.  She looked at him, and saw he was moving off her. 

She whined at the loss of contact and hoped she hadn’t gone too far.  Hoped she hadn’t been too much. 

The ringing sound was getting louder, and she saw Jon picking up his phone. 

“Hey”, he answered it, his voice raw.  “Oh, um, yeah, she’s still here.  No, she was – she was in the bathroom.  No phone in there.  Yeah, two seconds, I’ll pass the phone over.”

Jon handed his phone out to her.  “For you – Robb.”

Sansa took the phone from him, her energy turning from desire to worry.  “What’s happened?  Is everything alright?  Jeyne, and the baby?”

“Everything’s fine”, Robb chuckled.  “No, I was getting Jeyne some juice from the fridge and I noticed your keys on the counter.  Do you have any idea how long you’re going to be, because I kinda want to get to bed?”

“Oh, yeah, sure”, Sansa replied.  She pulled her dress back up to cover her breasts.  “I’ll call a car now.  I shouldn’t be too long.  I’m sorry if I’ve kept you up.”

“You don’t need to be sorry.  You don’t get many nights out with your job at the theatre.  Let me know when you’re in the cab.”

“Will do.  See you soon.  Bye.”

“Bye, Sans.”

“It seems I forgot my keys”, she told Jon.  “He wants to go to bed, so I said I’d call a cab.”

“Oh.  Sure”, said Jon.  She went out into the hall to call a cab, and then came back in to tell Jon it’d be a couple of minutes. 

“I should go and freshen myself up.  I don’t think I should turn up at Robb’s looking like this”, she laughed nervously. 

“No.”

Sansa went up to Jon’s bathroom and tried to straighten herself out as much as she could.  Gods, her brother had bad timing.  As much as she’d sorted herself out, she still wanted Jon inside her, filling her up.  She went back down as soon as she was presentable and heard the cab honking its horn for her.

“I should go”, she said softly.  Jon nodded. 

He had calmed himself down from earlier, and Sansa could tell he was a bit of an emotional mess.  Taking a risk – as she had done repeatedly that night – Sansa wrapped her arm around his neck and kissed him.

“Goodnight, Jon.  Happy birthday.”

“Safe ride – journey home”, he told her.  Sansa nodded.  She turned around when she got to the cab door and saw him still looking at her.  She waved, and got in. 

After confirming the address with the driver, she didn’t speak again until they got to Robb’s apartment building.  Sansa simply looked out of the window, and thought of Jon.  Her questions were answered – even if it was just a little bit, _he did want her_. 

And gods, after tonight, did she want him more than ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .........and Robb's timing continues to be questionable!


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Tis the morning after the night before........

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks for all the lovely comments on the last chapter! I loved writing it - and this one. Can Robb redeem himself?

Sansa woke up on Tuesday morning in a very good mood.   The memory of Jon’s mouth on her had made its way into her dreams, and left her wishing she could sleep even longer. 

She checked her phone to see if there were any texts from him.  Finding no new messages in her inbox, Sansa quickly dressed before firing off one of her own. 

 _Morning.  Hope you have a good day.  Sansa_   _x_

She went through to the kitchen to make breakfast humming an old Sinatra song her mother loved under her breath.  Robb had already left for work, but Jeyne was sitting at the table sipping a glass of juice. 

“Someone’s in a good mood this morning”, Jeyne commented. 

“Yes, I am”, Sansa replied with a smile. 

When she’d taken the decision to come back to New York for work, it had felt to Sansa like it was the first day of the rest of her life.  Today had a similar feeling about it.  Sansa poured herself some fruit juice and decided on scrambled eggs for breakfast. 

She started to whisk the eggs.  “How’s the back this morning?”

“Good.  A long lie in the bath helped.  I feel bad for running out on Jon like that.”  Sansa nodded in agreement, but privately knew well enough that nothing would have happened between her and Jon if Jeyne and Robb had stayed. 

“Jon is a very understanding and generous person.  I’m sure he’d just want you and the baby to be healthy.”

“So, what’s put you in such a good mood this morning?  The absence of noise?” Jeyne asked. 

“Oh, a bit of this and a bit of that”, Sansa replied airily.  Her phone rang, and her grin got wider when she saw it was Jon calling.  “I need to take this.”

She hit _accept call_ , and started to move back towards her bedroom.  This wasn’t a conversation she intended to have in front of Jeyne.  Although Sansa supposed she and Robb would need to find out sooner or later.  

 _That_ would be an interesting conversation to have with her brother. 

“Morning”, she said happily.  “Your ears must have been burning.  Jeyne and I were just talking about you.”

“Oh?”

Sansa closed the bedroom door behind her.  “She feels bad about having to leave early last night.”

“These things happen.  How is her back?”

“Better”, Sansa told him.  “I, uh, I had a really great time last night.  It’s been a long time since anyone’s gone out of their way to make me feel that good.”

“Last night is why I’m calling”, he said.  She could hear a loud sigh on the other end of the phone. 

“I’m really sorry for taking advantage last night.  I had more wine than I’d intended, and – you mean a lot to me, Sansa, you really do.  And your friendship.  I never thought we had as much in common as we do.”

She could feel a huge, massive _but_ coming. 

“But you’re only here for another seven or eight weeks.  I’m not the kind of guy who has flings, and I don’t think you’re the kind of woman who does either.  You’re too good for that.  And I don’t want to wreck our friendship for the sake of a few nights together.” 

“Oh.”  She closed her mouth, and opened it again to tell him that she was moving back to New York. 

The words wouldn’t come out.  Sansa thought back to the previous night, to the soft and sweet endearments he’d whispered as his mouth covered her skin. 

“Don’t ever think that you took advantage of me, Jon”, she told him dully.  “We were two consenting adults.  And you gave me more than enough opportunities to say _no_.”

How could he have taken advantage of her?  She had been the one to kiss him.  Most likely this was his way of letting her down gently.  She obviously wasn’t his type.  Sansa couldn’t recall meeting any of Jon’s previous girlfriends, so she couldn’t say what his type was.  Or maybe he’d been put off by the tabloid intrusion he’d seen first-hand during her time in New York.

“Are we okay, Sansa?” Jon asked.  She could hear the tension in his voice, and it made her heart break a little bit more. 

“We’re okay, Jon”, she replied.  “I better get back to making my scrambled eggs.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt you.  I’ll see you soon.  Bye, Sansa.”

“Bye.”  She pressed _end call_. 

Sansa looked up, and caught sight of her face in the mirror.  The smile she’d worn since last night was gone. 

She went back through to the kitchen, and pulled out a pan to cook the eggs. 

“You’re not looking as happy as you were a few minutes ago”, said Jeyne.  She looked worried.  Sansa opened her mouth to reply, but the only sound that came out was a great, wracking sob. 

“Hey, come here.”  Before she knew it, Jeyne was next to her and pulling her into a hug.  “Hush.  I’ve got you.  I’ve got you.”

Hearing the words Jon had used last night after he’d brought her to her climax just made Sansa sob even harder.  Was there something inherently wrong with her?  Some reason she was never quite good enough? 

She could feel the tangy salt of her tears on the corner of her mouth as they slid down her face. 

“Come and sit down.”  Sansa let Jeyne lead her away from the kitchen and over to the sofa.  “What happened?  Was it that phone call you got?”

“Yeah”, Sansa said through her tears.  She could hear the tremble in her voice.  “I just……..for once, I thought I was about to be happy.”

“Oh, sweetheart.”  Jeyne pulled her in tightly.  “Do you want to talk about it?  I’m not sure that I’ll be able to do much to help.”

Sansa nodded.  “On one condition, though.  You can’t tell Robb any of it.  Please, Jeyne.  I don’t want Robb to know how much of an idiot I’ve been over this.” 

Jon and Robb had been friends for almost all of their lives, and Sansa didn’t want them to fall out over her.

“If you don’t want me to say anything to him then I won’t.  But I do think you need to speak to someone, if whatever it is has got you this upset.”

“I know.”  Sansa sighed, and wiped away the tears from her cheeks.  She turned to face Jeyne properly. 

“I’m not even sure when it started.”  She tried to think back over the last couple of months, and failed to pinpoint that singular moment when she just _knew_ how she felt about Jon. 

“It sort of crept up on me over time, and then I was in so deep I couldn’t back out.  I couldn’t stop myself.”

Sansa fidgeted in her seat.  She hadn’t said it aloud yet, not to someone else – though she supposed she had shown Jon, in a way.

“I didn’t mean for this to happen.  I didn’t mean to fall in love with him.  But he’s just so….so _him_ , and I couldn’t not.  We were never friends before.  We barely spoke to each other beyond common politeness.  I couldn’t have told you much about him beyond factual information.  But, when I started to get to know him…”

“When you say _him_ you mean _Jon_ , don’t you?”  Jeyne said softly.  Sansa nodded. 

“Have I been completely obvious?”  She was supposed to be an actress.  She hid her own feelings and identity for a living.

“No.  I don’t think Robb has any idea about it.  Or just about anyone else.  I just thought – the way you got so defensive when Arya asked you about him, and I’ve seen the two of you look at each other like you’re the only two people in the world.”  Sansa snorted. 

“He doesn’t think about me that way.  He made that very clear about fifteen minutes ago.”  Sansa thought back to their conversation, and started crying again. 

“Sansa, did something happen between the two of you last night?”  Sansa nodded. 

“Yeah.  And it made it worse because it – it is almost as if I’ve been given a glimpse of what it feels like to have what I want, only to have it taken away from me before I’ve had a chance to savour it.”

She wiped her nose with the back of her hand.  “We had a moment last weekend when he dropped that book off for Robb, and there was this look in his eyes and when I saw it again last night…….”

“You figured what the hell and went for it?”

“Something like that.  We didn’t – I mean…..but gods, Jeyne I wanted him.  I _want_ him.  Last night, I thought he wanted me.  Looks like I was wrong.  He called me to apologize, saying he’d taken advantage as if I hadn’t been the one to kiss him.  As if he hadn’t asked for permission before he did anything more than a simple kiss”, Sansa laughed hollowly. 

“He said that he valued my friendship, and that he wasn’t the type of guy who had flings and we shouldn’t take it any further because I’m going back to LA in a few weeks.”

“Jon does have a point about that.  You know what his job is like – his and Robb’s.  A long-distance relationship would be a non-starter, and Jon’s reached a point in his life where he wants more than a quick fling.  He is a good man.  He wouldn’t want to hurt you”, said Jeyne.

“But he has”, Sansa almost whispered.  “I almost told him everything as well, but I figured he was just trying to let me down gently.  I’d have ruined his gesture if I’d told him that it wouldn’t be a long-distance relationship.”

“What?!” Jeyne seemed surprised. 

“I’m going back to LA when _Alayne_ is finished, but I don’t have any work commitments lined up.  I’m not happy in LA, and I haven’t been for a while now.  Technically speaking, I’m on a year-long sabbatical.  The studio have been very good to me and there’s a contract waiting for me when I get back – only, I called my agent, Brienne, yesterday, and told her to set up a meeting with the studio to let them know I won’t be signing it.  She’s meeting with them on Friday.  Once it is official with them, I’m calling a realtor and putting my house on the market.”

“You’re moving home?  I can’t pretend that Robb and I aren’t delighted at the thought of seeing more of you”, Jeyne told her.  “And the kids will be excited too.  They’ve loved having you here to stay with us.”

Sansa chuckled.  “I wasn’t going to tell anyone until it was all done and dusted at the end of the week, and now I’ve gone and told you anyway.  And I’ve completely destroyed everything with Jon.”

“I don’t think you’ve destroyed anything.  And I don’t think he was trying to let you down gently.  I’ve seen the way he looks at you when he doesn’t think anyone else is watching.  You said earlier that you’d had a taster of what being with Jon would be like and then it was snatched away from you – isn’t it possible he feels the same?  That a fling would make it harder to move past you than not being with you at all?”

Sansa shrugged.  She didn’t know what to think. 

“I don’t know.”

“Well, I do.  That man is like a puppy dog around you.  Here’s what you’re going to do – wait until the end of the week and everything’s official.  I reckon when he finds out that you’re staying in New York, all the arguments in his head for not taking your relationship further will melt away.  You can go and see him on Saturday and explain everything.”

“Okay”, Sansa agreed.  She felt a little better having spoken to Jeyne, but there were still niggling doubts at the back of her mind. 

**********

Jon read through the transcripts for the first day of Theon Greyjoy’s original trial for perhaps the tenth time. 

Nothing was sinking in, and there was a pretty good reason why.  That reason was a smart, funny, attractive redhead who had haunted his dreams more than usual over the last two nights as he recalled the feel of his mouth on her skin. 

At least he would have that memory, though it hardly seemed like a consolation right now.  Jon knew he’d made the right decision.  It was bad enough trying to move on from her after the little they’d shared and it would’ve been that times a thousand had anything more happened. 

But gods did the right decision suck. 

Jon re-read the first sentence again, and then sighed heavily.  He put the transcript down, and picked up his phone.  He was a mess, and he needed advice.  The only problem was that the one person he should talk to about this was also the last person he should talk to about this. 

Jon scrolled through the contacts list on his phone, and pressed _call_ when it reached Robb Stark.      

It rang out.  “ _You have reached the voicemail of Robb Stark.  I’m sorry I can’t take your call right now, but if you leave a message after the bleep I’ll call back as soon as I can.  Cheers_.”

Damn.  “Hey Robb, Jon here.  You’re probably in a meeting right now.  Could you maybe schedule in some time to meet me at lunch?  I can shift some things around if need be.  Please, it – it’s pretty important.  Anyway, let me know.  Bye.”

Jon let out a huge sigh, and banged his head on his desk.  All he could think of was her.  Deciding that a caffeine boost was needed, Jon made himself a coffee and returned to his office and the Greyjoy transcripts. 

He re-read the same line again, and decided he’d do it over and over again until it started to stick. 

He had been trying and failing to work through this for the best part of an hour by the time Robb returned his call. 

“Is everything alright?” Robb asked as soon as Jon answered the call. 

“Not really.  I mean, nothing bad has happened.  Please don’t worry.  I just – I just need to talk to someone about something before I drive myself mad.  Do you have free time in your schedule to meet me somewhere around lunchtime?” 

He felt awful bringing this to Sansa’s own brother, but he had to talk this through and Robb was the only viable option he had.  He needed to speak to someone who knew both of them well, and who knew that Sansa’s relationship with Loras wasn’t real – pretty much limiting the list to people named _Stark_.

“I can make an hour between one and two.  Where do you want to meet?”  Jon heaved a huge sigh of relief. 

“There’s a bar on the corner opposite your office”, said Jon.  “I can be there at one.”

“A bar?  In the middle of the day?  Are you sure nothing bad has happened?” 

“I’m sure.  Thanks, Robb.  I owe you.”

“After I ran out of your birthday dinner on Monday, I figure this makes us even”, Robb chuckled. 

“See you later.  Bye.”

“Bye.”

Jon put his phone down, and went back to the transcripts.  Part of him felt a little guilty – was he violating Sansa’s privacy by talking to Robb?  Perhaps. 

But it wasn’t as if he intended to give Robb a play-by-play on what had happened the night of his birthday.  Were Jon to start the conversation with _by the way, I totally went down on your sister_ , he doubted his jaw would survive the encounter intact. 

No, this was more about how he felt about Sansa than what had happened between them. 

He’d felt awful speaking to her over the phone like that, a coward, but he knew if she looked at him the same way she had on Monday night it would have ended the same way. 

_Gods, he wanted her._

Jon had no doubt that if Robb hadn’t chosen that moment to realize Sansa had forgotten her keys, they wouldn’t have stopped. 

Jon got precious little done for the rest of the morning, and when it came to lunchtime he told his secretary that he would be out of the office for more than an hour. 

He got to the bar opposite Robb’s office early, and ordered a whiskey from the bartender.  Jon wasn’t sure what it said about him that he was drinking in the middle of a workday, but he needed some liquid courage before he spoke to Robb. 

He was sitting at a table in the corner, staring at the untouched whiskey, when Robb came in.  “This doesn’t look good.”

Robb sat down opposite him, and looked at Jon expectantly. 

“Well?  Man, you phone me at work in the middle of the morning, ask me to come and meet you in a bar.  Since when do you drink at lunchtime?”

Jon downed the shot of whiskey, and grimaced as it burned his throat.  What was it his mother used to say about telling hard truths?  Think of it like a band aid and just rip it off. 

“I’m in love with Sansa”, he blurted out.  “I didn’t mean to be.  It wasn’t planned – and before you ask me, it most certainly isn’t a reaction to Val eloping because I’ve been trying not to think of Sansa as anything more than a friend for a lot longer than Val’s been married.  I just……..”

Jon put his head in his hands, and groaned.  “There, I said it.  I finally, fucking said it.  I never said it aloud before.  Saying it aloud made it real and something I had to deal with.  And she’s going back to California in two months and I thought I could handle it and I really, really can’t.”

“I’m still on the part where you’re in love with my sister.”  Jon raised his head again, and saw surprise in Robb’s eyes.  “Wow.  Just – wow.  _My sister_?”

“I didn’t mean for this to happen”, Jon said again.  “My life would be a lot less complicated if I didn’t want her.  But I do, and I can’t stop thinking about her.  I spent most of the morning re-reading the same page a dozen or so times because I can’t concentrate properly.”

“Why are you telling me this now?”  Robb asked warily.  “You didn’t randomly decide that today was a good day to tell me, did you?  Are you going to tell her, and think you need my permission or something?  I know you’re a good guy.  You wouldn’t treat her badly.  But, she’s going home in a couple of months.”

“I know.”   _Here we go_.  “And that’s why I told her it couldn’t be anything.  I’m past flings, and she is too good a person to want one, and – “

“Hold up.  You said this was the first time you said it aloud, and now it sounds like you’ve spoken to Sansa about it.”  Damn, Robb could be perceptive.  Jon nodded.  “Did something happen between the two of you?”

“Yes”, Jon whispered.  He was surprised to see no look of betrayal on Robb’s face.  Robb seemed to be thinking, though. 

“Monday night.  She was – she looked so happy when she walked in the door.  Happier than I’ve seen her in a long time, humming away.”  Robb seemed to realize something.  “She wasn’t in the bathroom when I phoned, was she?”

“No.  No, she wasn’t”, Jon admitted. 

“You fucked my sister?!”  Jon winced. 

“No, not exactly.  But I’d be lying if I said nothing happened”, Jon sighed. 

“I don’t want to know.”  Robb raised a hand.  “ _My sister?_ ”

“I told you – I didn’t mean to fall in love with her.  And I did.  And it is a complete mess – I’m a complete mess.  I don’t know what to do, I really don’t.  You’re the only person I could trust enough with her, and gods, Robb, but I wish she wasn’t about to leave New York.” 

Jon leaned his head back and stared up at the ceiling. 

“Ignoring the fact that she’s my sister – which, fyi, is the only way I’ll be able to talk to you about this – I’d say we don’t choose who we fall in love with.  And we don’t choose when we fall in love with them.  I never thought I’d meet Jeyne when I did.” 

Robb sighed.  “I suppose you did right by her, saying no to a fling.  You don’t want to hurt her.  I get that, I do.  Thing is, you’ve sort of hurt yourself in the process.”

“That is a slight complication, yes”, Jon agreed. 

“Talk to Mormont, take a couple of personal days and go visit Dany.  I don’t understand why you didn’t speak to her in the first place instead of telling me what you did with my sister.”

“Because she called me on it at my house-warming”, said Jon.  “She and Daario stayed over that night, and when he went upstairs she called me on it.  Said it was obvious by the way I looked at Sansa.  I told her it was just a crush.  That was during my denial phase.  Well, she told me so.”

“Go see her.  Women – and probably a lot of men – are better at this emotional shit than me.”  Jon laughed.  That was the Robb he knew well.  “Seriously, though, I respect that you came and told me.  That you were eventually up front about it.”

Jon found to his surprise that Mormont was willing to give him the personal days he asked for at short notice, and he found himself with two days leave.  That was, in some ways, the easy part. 

The hard part was Dany.  She’d warned him not to let himself get hurt, and he’d walked right into it.  He just hoped she didn’t blame Sansa – he’d been a very willing participant the other night. 

“Jon?”  Dany sounded surprised when she answered her phone.  “You don’t usually call from work.”

“Um, I don’t suppose you could put me up for a few nights?” Jon asked.  “I’m online checking some train times, and I could be there a little after nine tonight.  I, uh, I took a couple of personal days, and – “

“What’s wrong?  Jon, you don’t take personal days.”  Gods, she could be as perceptive as Robb. 

“I don’t usually, I just – the last couple of days I’ve been a bit of a mess, and you were right when you called me on it……”

“Oh, Jon.  Listen, never mind trains.  I’m sending Daario to pick you up from your house at seven.  That should give you more than enough time to get home from work and pack a few things.  He’ll bring you here and take you home on Sunday afternoon.  And I’m clearing my schedule while you’re here.”

“You don’t need to go to that trouble”, Jon assured her. 

“Yes, I do.  You’re family, Jon, and that means something to me.”  Jon nodded. 

“Okay.”

Luckily for Jon, Daario didn’t seem to be interested in small talk for the duration of their two-hour drive up to Dany’s.  For all she had shouted down his protests, Jon realized he wouldn’t be getting there much earlier than he would have if he’d taken the train. 

In any case, Jon was grateful Daario simply turned on the radio and allowed the DJ’s voice to fill the car. 

“I’ll get your bag”, Daario told him when they pulled up. 

“You don’t have to – “  Jon tried to protest.

“It’s fine.”  Jon nodded. 

Jon got out of the car, and saw Dany come outside to meet them.  He felt bad for worrying her like this.  And more than a little stupid for making such a big deal out of things.  She ran over and hugged him tightly. 

“Oh, Jon”, she said when they pulled apart. 

“I look that bad, do I?” Jon said ruefully.  “Dany, I did a stupid thing.  I fell in love with her, and she’s leaving in eight weeks.”

“Come inside.  As an old friend once told me, everything’s better with some wine in the belly.”


	19. Chapter 19

After a tense few days in which she found herself more emotional than usual, Sansa woke on Saturday morning with a renewed sense of purpose. 

Brienne had called her not long before the evening performance began to confirm the outcome of the meeting with Selmy.  She had officially left LA Medics.  All that was left now was for the writing staff to come up with an off-screen exit story for her. 

As soon as she was finished speaking to Brienne, Sansa had called a realtor she knew of named Davos Seaworth.  She had arranged to meet Seaworth during her hopefully short time in LA after her run in _Alayne_ had finished. 

They hadn’t decided upon a precise date and time, but the loose arrangement was there and her house would be on Seaworth’s books.  That accomplished, she was now in a position to lay the facts before Jon and hope Jeyne was right and that his words hadn’t simply been a way of letting her down gently. 

Although she knew Jon was far from shallow, Sansa wanted to make a real effort.  She took a bath in her en-suite, dressed in a pretty lemon sundress and styled her hair in a loose braid.  Feeling ready, she went through to the kitchen to prepare some breakfast to fortify herself. 

“You look pretty, Auntie Sansa”, Lyarra told her.  Sansa’s niece sat next to her at the table, and was finishing off a bowl of cereal. 

Sansa helped herself to a few pieces of fruit and began to turn it into a sort of fruit salad.

“Thank you, sweet pea.  I’m going to see a friend of mine today, and I wanted to look nice”, Sansa said airily.  “Did you have fun with Uncle Jon last night?”

“Sansa, about that – “  Jeyne began.

“Uncle Jon didn’t come last night”, said Lyarra.  “Daddy said that Uncle Jon had to stay with his auntie.”

“Oh.”  Sansa felt her throat constrict, as she sensed Jeyne move closer to her. 

“Sansa, I’m so sorry – I didn’t know until last night, and I had already fallen asleep by the time you got back.”

“Its fine”, Sansa tried to reassure her.  By the look on Jeyne’s face, she was failing miserably.  It wasn’t fine.  It was actually the opposite of fine.  But Sansa could do little about it. 

Had he gone to stay with Daenerys just to escape her?  Was she so unworthy of his attention that it had come to this, sending men a couple of hundred miles away to avoid her presence?

“Auntie Sansa, why are you crying?” Lyarra asked. 

“I’m not crying.”  Again, she was unconvincing.  The tears streaming down her face might’ve had something to do with that.  She heard Jeyne shoo Lyarra away from the table and told her to go and pick out her clothes. 

“I did what you said”, Sansa gasped.  “I waited until today.  And I got all dressed up.  I made such an effort.  Does he really find me so repulsive that he has to leave the city to avoid me?!”

“I don’t think that’s what this is about, really I don’t.”  Sansa shrugged.  She wasn’t sure what to do any longer.

“What’s wrong?”  Robb appeared, and Sansa groaned internally.  She trusted Jeyne not to have told Robb anything, but she really didn’t want her brother to find out like this. 

What was she supposed to say – _I’ve fallen in love with your best friend, and by the way did you know how amazing he is at oral?_

“Nothing.  Really.  I just – it doesn’t matter, Robb.  Truly.”  The tears continued to fall, and Sansa could feel Jeyne rubbing comforting circles on her back.  Robb came over and crouched down next to her. 

“Sansa, you don’t cry for no reason.  When we were younger you cried for stupid reasons – the movie you were watching, stories about rabbits on the news – but you never cried for no reason at all.  Lyarra – she said she told you Jon didn’t come over last night and then you started crying.”

“Gods but that is one perceptive child”, Sansa laughed hollowly.  “Sorry.  I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Jon might be my best and oldest friend, but you are my sister.  He’s clearly upset you a lot.” 

Sansa nodded.  “He has.  But it isn’t his fault.  Or, at least, I’m as responsible as he is.”

“You know it would never have worked out, though.  He isn’t going to leave New York and you live in LA.”  Sansa figured now was as good a time as any to spread her news. 

“Robb, I quit my job.  I’m not happy in LA.  I’m……lonely.  I miss all of you, and I’ve had enough of my life out there.  I’ve made an appointment with a realtor to put my house on the market.  I’m moving home.  This whole trip was about trying to figure out what I want to do next with my life.  And what I want is to move back to New York.  I should have told Jon that before.  Maybe then we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

Robb hugged her tightly.  “What was that for?”

“For coming home.  We’ve all missed you”, he told her. 

“I still say Jon is interested”, said Jeyne.  “I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”

“I doubt it”, muttered Sansa. 

“I’m inclined to side with Jeyne on this one.”  Sansa looked up at her brother.  She could see a hint of the guilty look he’d worn as a child when he’d been caught in the cookie jar.  Something occurred to her. 

“You weren’t surprised.  About Jon.  You seemed to take it for granted there was something there.”

Robb scratched the back of his neck in the same way she’d seen Jon do a number of times.  “Yeah.  There’s a chance I’m the reason he’s out of town.  I may have suggested he take some time out and go visit Dany to get his head together.”

“What did he tell you?”  Sansa asked warily.  She doubted Jon would have told Robb everything that had happened between them, but he had clearly said something. 

“I’ll put it this way – if you think he was just using the long-distance thing as an excuse then you’re wrong as hell”, Robb told her.  “And whatever it was that happened between the two of you, I really don’t want to know about it.”

“I was right!” exclaimed Jeyne.  “And swear jar.”

“Listen, I’m going to go check on the kids.  It’ll be alright, Sans.  I promise.”  Robb kissed the top of her head as he would Lyarra’s, and Sansa wished it was that simple. 

**********

Jon grumbled at the sound of his phone, and put his hand out to switch it off for the third time in five minutes.  He’d been up late the night before talking to Dany. 

After Thursday, when he’d been a babbling mess, she’d taken care to keep the conversation away from Sansa unless he mentioned her.  And so they had spent the night before talking about Rhaegar.  Jon had asked Daenerys to recount as many stories of the man as she could. 

He glanced at the clock and saw it was not yet ten.  Jon turned over, and made an attempt to go back to sleep.  He was just about there when Dany came crashing in through the door.

“What’s going on?”  Jon yawned.  He stretched out, and tried to ignore the sun peering through the edge of the curtains.

“I was worried.  You’re not answering your phone”, she told him. 

Jon sat up and rubbed his eyes, confused.  “Why were you phoning me?  I’m in your house.”

She spoke into her phone.  “He’s fine.  He was just asleep.  Here, I’ll pass you over.”

Daenerys handed him her cell and mouthed a name.  _Robb_.  Jon’s heart skipped a beat, and he could feel his hands shake as he took the phone from Dany. 

“Hey.  I take it you’re the person who tried to call me three times in the last five minutes?”  Jon asked. 

“Yeah, that would be me.  You usually answer unless you’re in a meeting.”

“I was trying to sleep.  Dany and I were talking pretty late last night.  Rhaegar stuff.”  Jon sighed and rubbed his eyes.  “Is everything alright?  Jeyne and the baby?  I didn’t figure you would call this weekend.  Not that I mind you calling – just, you were the one who suggested I come here.”

Jon knew he was probably making very little sense. 

“Yeah, that might not have been the best idea.”  Jon could hear Robb chuckle slightly.  “It turns out you’re not the only one who has been keeping things from me.  Normally I’d feel bad about breaking my sister’s trust but at this point I feel it’s for her own good.”

“Huh?”  Jon was both perplexed and half asleep.  All he was really taking in was that Robb wanted to talk about Sansa.

“She didn’t tell any of us, but apparently this trip home was some sort of trial run?  Sansa’s – Jon, she’s moving home.  It wouldn’t be long-distance and she’s convinced that’s just an excuse.  I’m willing to overlook the fact that you made my baby sister cry on this one occasion because when you went away, you did it on my advice.  If you make her cry again, I’ll kick your ass.”

“Daddy!  You said a swear.”  Jon heard Lyarra’s voice in the background. 

“I think you owe Jeyne’s swear jar some cash”, Jon told him.  “But, you’re being serious?  Sansa’s going to be living here?  In New York?”

“She’ll need to go back to LA to sort out some things, but yes.  She’s pretty upset about you.  I figure that means she likes you.  A lot.  She got all dressed up this morning – I think maybe it was for you.  And then she found out you were out of town.”  Jon groaned. 

“Get a train back to the city.  I’ll take Jeyne and the kids out for a few hours, and you can come here to talk to Sansa.  You don’t need my blessing, but if it makes a difference then you have it.  I want you both to be happy.”

“Wow”, breathed Jon.  What in all seven hells was he doing still talking to Robb?  “Thanks.  I’ll get sorted now, and text you when I’m almost there.”

“One more thing.  I work hard at my job.  I have a wife and two young, hyperactive children – plus a third on the way.  I like my sofa.  It’s comfy.  When I get home at night, I like to be able to relax on it.  Please remember that.” 

In other words, _please don’t do anything to my sister on it_.

“I’ll remember”, Jon promised.  “And thank you.”

Jon jumped out of bed, making no move to correct the goofy smile he was sure was currently plastered on his face, and went to give Dany her phone back.  His aunt had left the room as soon as he’d started speaking to Robb.

“Dany?” he called.

“In the kitchen.  You want some coffee?”

“Yes.  No.  Yes.”  Jon bounded into the kitchen and handed over her phone. 

“I don’t know all the details, but Robb says Sansa’s moving back to New York.  I need to get back to the city.  Can you check train times while I take a shower?”

“What?”  Dany seemed puzzled.  “Back up.  She’s moving to New York?  Since when?”

“From what Robb said it sounded like she’s been thinking of it for a while, but I don’t know for sure.  Dany, I love her.  If there is even the smallest, slightest chance we could make a proper go of things then I have to take it.”  Daenerys nodded. 

“Go get yourself ready, and then Daario will drive you into the city.  The trains can be hell on the weekends.”

“I ever tell you that you’re my favourite aunt?”  Jon asked. 

“I’m your only aunt”, she reminded him. 

“And favourite”, Jon repeated.  He hugged her tightly, and then ran off to have a shower with a sense of whiplash in his mind.  Half an hour before, this would have seemed impossible. 

Jon thought back to Robb’s words and hoped he was right about Sansa.  He thought back further to the previous Monday. 

She’d seemed to like it. 

**********

Sansa had agreed to Robb’s suggestion that she take a little time to herself inside the apartment while he took Jeyne and the kids on a cinema and pizza outing.  She was grateful to her brother for being so understanding and giving her some space.  In his own home, no less. 

He still hadn’t told her exactly what Jon had said, but Sansa figured she could cut her brother a little slack.  And ultimately she trusted Jon not to have given Robb a detailed synopsis of what they’d done. 

Besides, if Robb had any idea of where Jon’s mouth had been, her brother wouldn’t be able to look her in the eye.

Unable to concentrate on anything overly taxing, Sansa brought out her iPad and flicked through some property websites.  She wasn’t even sure yet what her budget range was or what she was looking for in an apartment.  There were a few she quite liked the look of, though, so she bookmarked them for later and made a mental note to ask Robb if he knew of a good New York realtor. 

Sansa set aside her iPad after that and went to look through the scripts Brienne had e-mailed her through.  Robb had printed them off as Sansa liked to take notes in the margin when she read them – even if she felt herself unlikely to take the part. 

She heard a knock at the door.  Sansa furrowed her brow.  The family usually called before coming over to make sure someone would be in.  Perhaps Robb was as forgetful with keys as she was, Sansa mused.  As she made her way over to the door, Sansa wondered what he had forgotten. 

When she opened it, neither Jeyne nor Robb were on the other side.  

It was Jon.

“Oh”, Sansa whispered in surprise.  He was supposed to be upstate staying with Daenerys.  That was what had caused her tears this morning.  “Robb isn’t here.”

“I know.  He called Dany’s this morning and said he’d take Jeyne and the kids out for a few hours.  Can I – can I come in?”  Jon asked. 

He bit his lip and Sansa could tell he was as nervous as she was.  She nodded, and stood aside to let him in the door.  Sansa noted the travel bag he had with him.  He’d obviously come straight here.

Jon set his bag down just inside the door, and then turned to look at her. 

Sansa smiled.  “You should sit down.” 

The two of them went over to the sofa and sat facing one another as she recalled they had the day he’d taken her for lunch at Astapor.  They’d gone back to his apartment – his old apartment – afterwards, and she’d told him the truth about Loras.  She had sat facing him like this, and he’d taken her hand in his. 

Sansa leaned forward, and returned the gesture. 

From the moment he’d called her on Tuesday, she’d been convinced that her return to LA was only an excuse.  But his presence here, now, straight from Dany’s, told her that there was clearly some truth in what Jeyne and – more so – Robb had told her. 

“I was just looking through some scripts Brienne sent me”, she told him.  “If Robb called you this morning, I’m going to take a wild guess and say he also told you that I quit my job so I can move home.”

“He did”, Jon confirmed.  Sansa could feel his thumb drawing circles on her hand, and thought of him making the same motion on her waist when she was sitting on his worktop, her mouth on his.  

“When did you decide?”

“From the moment I called my agent and asked her to try and find me a play, it was in the back of my mind.  I went a little backwards and forwards on it.  But I decided for sure on Monday.  I have a good relationship with the network, and out of respect for them I wanted to wait until I’d officially turned down their new contract before I told anyone.  The guy we deal with there was out of town until yesterday.  I wanted to tell you on Tuesday.  I really, really did.  But I also didn’t want to make things awkward if that was your way of letting me down gently”, said Sansa. 

“It really, really wasn’t”, breathed Jon.  He moved forward and pressed his forehead to hers. 

“It was more a self-preservation kind of thing.  I figured if nothing really happened between us then it would be easier for me to say goodbye when you left.”

He moved back a bit, and Sansa saw a little hesitation in his eyes.  She nodded encouragingly. 

“I’ve been a real mess the last few days, so I’m not entirely sure how well my plan was working.  Sansa, I’m in love with you.  I’m not expecting you to say that back – not today – just, if you could maybe give us a chance to be something, then that would be enough for me.”

Sansa breathed in.  How long had she been with Harry, and he’d never said that to her?  Joffrey had only said it when he wanted something.  But Jon, her sweet, gentle, loving and generous Jon……he said it and she knew he _meant_ it.  Her smile grew wider. 

“I never meant to start falling in love with you.  It sort of just happened.  And I am so, so happy it did”, she told him. 

She moved forward and pressed her lips to his.  Sansa felt them open up as a soft chuckle escaped, and took the opportunity to bring him in closer. 

Soon Jon was sucking on her bottom lip, and Sansa could feel a sense of anticipation build up in her belly.  She had imagined doing this with nobody but Jon for weeks now, and after their false start on Monday it seemed like she was finally going to get the real thing. 

When she dipped her fingers under the neckline of his black t-shirt, though, Sansa felt Jon pull away and whined at the loss of contact. 

“We should – gods, this is embarrassing.  Robb made me promise nothing would happen on his sofa.  He was very particular about it.”  In spite of everything, Sansa found herself laughing out loud. 

“What?”  Jon nodded ruefully, and scratched the back of his neck.  “I think we’ve waited long enough.  And Robb did clear everyone out for a reason.”

Sansa stood up, smoothed out her dress, and held her hand out to Jon.  “If my brother is so attached to his sofa, we’ll just need to find a bed.”

**********

Jon swallowed a breath, and took her hand.  He followed Sansa through to the guest bedroom where he’d slept over once or twice in the past.  When Jon had stayed there before it had been a cold, bare room, but Sansa had brought it to life. 

There were flowers – blue roses, he noted, like the ones he had sent her for opening night – in a vase, family photographs, throws, and even one of Lyarra’s teddy bears. 

The room looked lived in. 

Sansa stood next to the bed and looked over at him.  Never the best at reading women, Jon could see the desire in her eyes.  Gods, but it made him want her more than ever.  Jon went over and stood next to her. 

Her hair was all tied up in a braid of some description.  As pretty as it looked, Jon quite liked the idea of running his fingers through her soft hair.  He picked up the braid at the band which held it together.

“Can I?” he asked.  Sansa seemed surprised, but nodded, and he took the band off before separating her braid.  She shook her hair out, and Jon shifted himself round to caress it and run his fingers through it.  “There.”

Jon sat down on the bed, and held out his hand to Sansa.  She sat down on his lap, and the moan she made told Jon she could feel how hard he was.  Jon slowly grazed his thumb across her lips, and gasped when her tongue came out to suck it. 

“Do you have any idea how much I want you, my sweet, sweet Sansa?” Jon whispered.  “Do you trust me to take care of you?”

“If taking care of me involves doing what you did the other night, then go right ahead”, she breathed.  Jon could see her blue eyes darken again, and grinned. 

He shifted her from his lap to the bed, and took a pause to gaze at her beautiful red hair splayed out on the pillow.  When Sansa looked up at him, Jon fell a little bit more in love with her. 

He’d known Sansa for a very long time.  Why hadn’t they been doing this for years?

Jon quickly removed his jeans and boots, hissing slightly at the friction of his jeans on his cock.  He tried to ignore that, and moved back to the bed.  She had mentioned the other night – she’d obviously liked it as much as he’d thought. 

A wicked grin growing across his face, he pressed a soft kiss to her left ankle, and then licked his way up to her knee. 

Sansa moaned softly.  “I love your legs”, he told her as he ran the tips of his fingers up and down her calves.  Her legs were raised slightly, and he could see a hint of movement in her hips as she tried to cant them upwards. 

Jon moved forward slightly, and began kissing the inside of her thigh as he continued to run his fingers up and down her calves.  His kisses weren’t refined, but wet and sloppy as his tongue darted out to touch her skin. 

Sansa’s moans continued, and he looked up to see her kneading her breasts through the dress she wore. 

“ _Jon_.”  The sound of her moaning his name went straight to his cock, but Jon kept his focus on Sansa’s legs.  At some point, when they had the time, he planned to spend an entire day mapping them out with his mouth. 

He soon reached the apex of her thighs and pressed his mouth to the panties she wore.  Jon could feel how wet they were already, even without his tongue on them.

“Seven hells, take them off!”  Sansa all but screamed.  Jon kissed the inside of her thigh again, and then moved the silky material down over the ass he was desperate to get to know better, and down her legs.  He threw them off to the side, and grinned. 

He teased her slightly at first, peppering soft kisses at the top of her thighs.  Every time she moaned his name, he crept closer and closer until finally he ran his tongue up her slit.  He’d loved the taste of her the other night, and it came back to him as his tongue found her clit. 

He swirled around it, from left to right, up and down, then writing his name with his tongue. 

Jon could feel Sansa bucking more and more into his face as she got closer to her orgasm.  Her moans turned to whimpers, and Jon was aware of her hands in his hair, massaging his curls.  He moved his right hand up from her leg, and plunged his forefinger into her wetness. 

“Jon!” he heard Sansa shout his name, and he brought his middle finger inside her before increasing the pressure of his tongue.  He wrote _I love you_ with it, and felt her orgasm hit.  She sighed softly, and he kissed her mound. 

Jon could see it was a brighter shade of red than her hair. 

He lifted his head up from between her legs to find Sansa grinning goofily at him as she came down from her peak.  

“You’re never leaving this bed”, she breathed.

“I think that’s a positive review”, he told her.  Sansa nodded. 

“Something like that.  We’re wearing too many clothes.”  While Sansa rid herself of her sundress and bra, Jon practically tore off his t-shirt.  He was more careful with his boxers; he could feel the cool air hit his cock. 

Jon lay Sansa back down on the bed, and moved up to kiss his way down her neck while his hand kneaded her breast.  He quickly replaced his hand with his mouth, and Sansa began to moan his name again.  He felt her cant her hips upward again, and the friction it caused with his cock. 

Jon groaned into her breast at the contact and then swirled his tongue around her left nipple, pinching the right into a small peak at the same time. 

Jon wasn’t sure how much longer he could last this time; he and Sansa had been building up to this for weeks. 

“I want you inside me”, Sansa rasped.  Jon lifted her leg onto his shoulder, and slid a couple of fingers in to prepare Sansa.  She was still sopping wet from his earlier ministrations. 

Jon replaced his fingers with his cock and slid into her.  He heard Sansa moans join his own as he filled her up. 

Jon thrust in and out of her as slowly as he could at first, and Sansa whined.  “ _Faster_.” 

He teased her for a minute or two, and then picked up his speed. 

“Getting closer”, Sansa whispered.  She had gone back to kneading her breasts, and in his haze Jon made a mental note of that.  It was clearly something she enjoyed, and he wanted her to feel good. 

He moved a hand down, and started to circle her clit.  Sansa’s moans increased. 

“ _Jon_.”  He felt her peak again and came himself a moment after, grunting her name.  Jon slumped down on top of Sansa, and enveloped her in his arms. 

“Wow.  Wow”, Sansa murmured after they’d had a chance to catch their breath. 

“Yeah, you are pretty wow.”  Jon brushed Sansa’s hair from her face and then kissed her forehead.  He held her tightly, and hoped she would never let him go.  “I love you.”

They lay in their post-coital bubble for a while until Sansa sensibly suggested they get dressed before Robb, Jeyne and the kids returned.  Jon’s request for five more minutes turned into ten before he finally admitted they should get a move on.  

He had briefly thought about bringing Sansa off again, but when they barely made it through to the kitchen for coffee before everyone returned it seemed to be for the best he’d let that thought slide.

“Uncle Jon is back!”  Lyarra squealed.  Jon set down his coffee on the counter, as Neddy ran over to him.  He picked up his godson, and grinned over at Robb and Jeyne. 

“I am back”, Jon told Lyarra.  “Did you have fun today?”

“We did.  I had pizza and ice cream, and the ice cream had sprinkles on it.”  She looked up at Sansa.  “Are you better now, Auntie Sansa?  Uncle Jon, Auntie Sansa was sad before.”

“I was sad this morning, but I’m not now.”  Sansa squatted down beside her niece and gave her a big hug. 

“I don’t like it when you’re sad, Auntie Sansa.”  Lyarra told her.  _Neither do I_.

“Well, I’m going to be very happy from now on.  Auntie Sansa is going to move back to New York properly, so I’ll get to see lots more of you and Neddy.” 

“That’ll be great, won’t it?” said Jeyne.  She came over and took Neddy from Jon.  “Right, mister.  Naptime.”

“I should get going”, Jon sighed.  He knew Sansa would have to get ready to go to the theatre soon, and he still had to unpack his travel bag. 

He put his arm around Sansa’s waist and pulled her closer.  “You should come over tonight after work.  You know, if you want to.”

“Oh, I want”, she replied with a grin.  She kissed him softly, and Jon was very aware that this was the first time they’d done this in front of Robb. 

“Auntie Sansa, is Uncle Jon your boyfriend now?”  Jon had forgotten Robb wasn’t the only other person in the room. 

“Um…..”  Sansa looked at him questioningly.  Jon rolled his eyes.  Of course he was – if she’d have him.  But how to explain that to a five year old?

“Yes”, Jon said simply.  Honesty was best here, he decided.  He laced his fingers through Sansa’s, and squatted down in front of Lyarra.  “I love Auntie Sansa.”

“Like Prince Charming and Cinderella?”  Lyarra asked.  Jon laughed, and nodded.  He’d never been called Prince Charming before, but it seemed to get the message across. 

He kept hold of Sansa’s hand and moved towards the door.  “Your sofa is fine, by the way.”

“Good”, said Robb.  “And good on the other thing too.”

“Thank you.”  Jon kissed Sansa goodbye, and started to look forward to tonight. 


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa enjoys breakfast in bed, Jon is keen to protect the environment, and the Stark family discovers Sansa is moving back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the lovely feedback on the last chapter!

As he prepared a breakfast tray for two made up of coffee, orange juice and scrambled eggs on toast, Jon reflected on how lucky he was.  A little more than twenty-four hours before, he had woken up at Dany’s feeling more than a little bit sorry for himself. 

Now, he was preparing breakfast in bed for Sansa. 

It had been a sort of whirlwind in the end, but Jon figured they had a solid base to work off.  Jon thought back to earlier that morning, and the shit-eating grin he figured had been plastered across his face, when he had opened his eyes to see Sansa in his arms and realized it wasn’t a dream.   

He carried the tray up to his bedroom and laid it down on his bedside table.  Sansa was sitting up, scrolling through her phone. 

Like him, she seemed to have put on a layer of clothing.  He recognized his Captain Phasma t-shirt, and his cock twitched slightly at the sight of her in his clothes.  Setting that aside in his mind, Jon handed Sansa the plate and cutlery, and set her coffee and juice on her bedside table. 

“Early morning orgasms and breakfast in bed.  I may never leave”, she grinned.  She took a mouthful of the eggs he had made.  “Okay, it’s official – I’m never leaving.”

“I can tell I’m going to enjoy spoiling you”, Jon told her. 

Although he knew Sansa was by no means shallow, he also knew that his life was a lot more simplistic than what she was used to.  Yes, she was rejecting that life by moving back to New York, but that didn’t stop the doubts at the back of Jon’s mind that she was too good for him and he couldn’t give her everything she deserved.  

“For future reference, this is the kind of spoiling I like.  Sweet, simple little things that show me you care.”  Sansa smiled over at him.  It was almost as if she could read his mind.  Jon got back into bed, and started in on his breakfast. 

“This is good coffee; much better than the kind Robb buys.”

“I bought it at that deli you love so much when I was in yesterday, buying more lemon mini-cheesecakes”, he told her.  “I think it’s going to become my regular stop for as much groceries as they sell.”

“Is that what you got up to yesterday afternoon after you left?”  Jon nodded.  They hadn’t really talked much when Sansa arrived the night before. 

“I had a video call with Margaery and Loras.  I told them I’m moving home.  I hope you don’t mind, but I also told them about us.  Given the arrangement Loras and I have, I figured I owed it to him to be up-front and honest.”

Jon snorted, thinking back to Sansa’s opening night.  He’d quite liked Loras in the end.  “And what did they say?”

“When I told them I’d met someone, Loras said he hoped it was you.”  Sansa took a gulp of orange juice.  “And Margaery said something similar.”

He might have been more than a bit wary of her both times they’d met, but Jon figured Margaery Tyrell was going to end up being in his life if Sansa was. 

“Loras asked what we want to do next.”  Jon looked at her questioningly.  “We talked when he was in New York about ending our arrangement and agreed we would have a ‘break-up’ when I got back.  He wants to know if we’ll stick to that, or if we want to bring it forward and let people know we’re together.”

“Oh.”  Jon hadn’t thought as far ahead as the complications of her agreement with Loras. 

“You’re the one he has an agreement with – it should be your decision.  Honestly, as long as we know the truth and the people most important to us know the truth, then that’s all that matters.”

Sansa smiled at him. 

“Loras is my friend, and I don’t want to make trouble for him.  But I think we can make everyone happy.  Particularly us.  If I stick with what Loras and I have planned, then it buys us some time together in private before my run in _Alayne_ ends.  I’m guessing Dany already knows, and you could tell Rhaegar.  And Rhae, if you wanted.  I’ll tell my family the truth.  Though perhaps not today.  The fact that I’m moving home will be enough of a bombshell.”

“A bombshell, am I?”  Jon leaned over and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. 

“Maybe.  Though I think my parents will be pleased about us.  They’ve always liked you – especially my father – and when they found out you were taking me to see the National, they thought it was maybe a date.” 

She hadn’t told him that before.  Nor had Robb.  “But, if you do want to tell them today, I could call my mother and ask her to set an extra place for lunch.”

“Nah, I think you’re right.  And maybe it’s for the best they see you made the decision to move home based on something other than me.  It’ll give them some reassurance as to how certain you are it’s the right thing to do”, Jon told her.  He took her hand in his. 

“Maybe we could tell them together.  Next week or something.”

“I like that idea”, said Sansa.  “And I really liked breakfast.”

After he’d cleared the breakfast tray away, Sansa asked if she could use his shower.  “I can’t turn up at my parents’ house reeking of sex.”

“Technically you could but I can see why that might be awkward”, said Jon as he wrapped his arms around her.  “Of course, I could probably do with a shower myself.  How would you like to help protect the environment by saving some water?”

“Oh, I think I could manage that”, Sansa replied.  She pressed her lips to his.  “In the interest of being a good citizen, of course.”

Sansa quickly dumped the t-shirt and boxers she’d taken from his wardrobe.  “I’ve already made good friends with your bed.  Now show me your shower.”

“Yeah”, Jon muttered.  He wondered precisely what he’d done in a previous life to deserve Sansa, and figured it probably involved saving the world. 

A lot. 

Jon led Sansa through to his bathroom, where he switched on the shower and removed his own t-shirt and boxers.  He took Sansa’s hand in his and pulled her under the warm water. 

Sansa giggled, trying to keep the water out of her eyes, as Jon kissed her.  He cupped her cheek gently and opened up his mouth to her.  He felt trickles of water from the spray pass his lips as their tongues danced, though he did nothing but moan at the feel of her soft skin in his hand. 

Sansa pulled away.  “Do you have body wash?”

“Huh?”  He’d anticipated more sex than shower, but handed her a bottle.  Sansa had a wicked smile on her face as she poured a liberal amount onto her hand before setting it back down on the shelf. 

She rubbed her hands together, and then pushed him back against the shower wall.

Sansa ran her hands up and down his chest and stomach, then from side to side.  Jon groaned at the feel of her hands on him.  The lower they went, the harder he grew.  Sansa lathered her hands up further, and shifted her attention to his legs.  

“Sansa”, he whined as her hands made it far enough up his legs to torture him even more but not far enough to give him relief.  Gods, she was good at this. 

“Not yet”, she said in a sing-song voice.  “We have to save the best for last.”

Only after she’d covered his legs – and then his arms – in wash, did she finally wrap her long, soft fingers around his shaft.  Jon let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, and started chanting her name. 

“ _Sansa…….Sansa……..Sansa……..fuck, Sansa……."_

She cupped his balls and began massaging them, and Jon knew he was getting close.  As much as he wanted to come, a voice at the back of his head reminded Jon he’d planned on doing so inside Sansa. 

“No”, he muttered, moving her hands away from him.  “Not yet.  My turn now.”

Jon picked up the body wash and hazily decided it might be an idea to buy a lot more of it.  He lathered up his hands as Sansa had, and turned her around. 

Unlike Sansa, he started off with her legs – though he followed her lead in coating them tortuously.

At first, he only went as far as her knees.  Up and down, down and up, slowly caressing her legs and letting her moans lead him.  He lathered his hands again and began to move up her thighs, stopping just before he reached her ass. 

Sansa rubbed her legs together, and began to whine.  “Not yet”, Jon teased.  He separated her legs again, eliciting another whine, and then stood up.  He placed Sansa directly in front of himself, and groaned at the friction caused by his hard cock rubbing against her bare ass.  Sansa seemed to sense this, and chased the contact. 

Jon ran his hands up and down her arms a couple of times before moving to her breasts.  He remembered how she liked to knead them.  He whispered in her ear. 

“You like that, don’t you?”  Sansa whined, and started murmuring his name.  Jon took that for a _yes_. 

He continued to massage Sansa’s breasts, and kissed his way down the back of her neck and onto her shoulder.  He sucked on it, and tried to ignore the pressure building up in his balls.  “ _I love you_.”

Quickly, Jon spun them around so he was facing Sansa.  He reached round and grabbed her ass, then lifted her up and held her against the shower wall.  Her legs were wrapped round his waist and seemed to sit just right on him. 

Carefully, he slid his cock inside her.

“ _Jon_ ”, she hissed.  “Oh, gods, this is good.”

As he thrust in and out of her, Jon placed his mouth on Sansa’s neck and kissed his way down to the valley between her breasts.  He could hear her moan and feel her cant her hips towards him. 

Sansa’s whines became needier as she neared her peak, and Jon felt her move a hand down to rub against her clit.  He took her left nipple in his mouth, and grazed it with his teeth as Sansa tightened around him. 

A few thrusts later, he spent inside Sansa.  He set her down on her feet, and pushed his forehead to hers with a deep sigh.  “That was so, so good.  Every time with you is like that.  I love the feel of you.  I love the noises you make for me.  I love _you_.”

“Me too”, she whispered. 

Once he had washed Sansa’s hair, Jon brought her off twice more with his fingers before their wrinkled skin suggested it was time for their shower to come to an end.  At which point Sansa mused aloud to him that perhaps they hadn’t saved as much water as they’d intended.

Jon shrugged his shoulders and handed Sansa a towel to dry herself.  He knew that if he helped her, the sex smell she was trying to get rid of would only return.  He was coming back upstairs after putting their wet towels and dirty clothes in the laundry hamper when he heard Sansa shout.

“Holy crap!  Is that the time?”

“What?”  Jon walked back into the bedroom.  Sansa was standing fully dressed with her phone in hand, and a look of panic on her face. 

“I need to phone a car.  I should have been back at Robb’s by now.  There are around half a dozen missed calls on my phone, and they’re all from him.  He sent me a text message saying they were leaving in half an hour and he’d meet me there if I wasn’t back.  Robb sent this forty-five minutes ago.”

“I’ll call you a car while you finish up”, Jon told her.  He kissed her forehead softly. 

“Hah!  I have another from Jeyne, saying he’s grumpy because he thinks my mother will blame him if I’m late.”

**********

Sansa spent the car ride from Jon’s to her parents’ house replaying the last day or so in her mind.  She couldn’t recall ever having such a lovely honeymoon period at the beginning of a relationship. 

Lyarra’s Cinderella analogy had, perhaps, been more apt than Sansa had initially thought.  Jon made her feel like a true princess.  He showered her with physical affection, repeatedly told her that he loved her, and gods did that man have a tongue on him. 

Sansa had already decided that anything Jon couldn’t do with his tongue wasn’t worth knowing. 

And it was constant, too.  An arm around her waist, a hand in hers, fingers running lightly up and down her arm.  As much as Sansa knew she shouldn’t get ahead of herself, she couldn’t help but think that Jon and this thing she was building with him was more than anything she had ever experienced before.  It certainly had a far more solid foundation. 

A block or two away from her parents’ townhouse, Sansa pulled out her phone to check the time.  She bit her lip when she realized how late she was.  It suddenly occurred to her that Robb hadn’t mentioned how he would explain her lateness.  Stuck in the shower?  Meeting a friend for coffee? 

It was too late now to text, and too conspicuous to phone him. 

Part of her wished Jon had decided to come with her.  She didn’t like to keep things like this from her parents, as much as she knew this was the right way to proceed.  Her parents – particularly her mother – had to know that she had decided to move back to New York for a reason other than Jon. 

Besides, Jon had some paperwork to get through before going back to the office on Monday morning. 

Sansa paid the driver promptly when he pulled up, and walked up to the front door feeling a little nervous.  She knocked and entered, shouting to announce her presence.

“Hello?  I’m here!”  She heard noise coming from the family room and went through there.  “Sorry I’m a bit late.”

“Not to worry.  Everything alright?” her mother asked. 

“Excellent”, smiled Sansa.  “Very, very excellent.”  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Robb shake his head and Jeyne nudge her husband’s arm. 

“You’re in a good mood”, Arya commented.  She was sat next to Gendry on the sofa, playing a silly game with Neddy. 

“Am I not always?” Sansa asked.  She sat down in her favourite chair again, and curled up.  She figured she was probably in a better mood than normal.  Last night – and this morning – had relaxed her. 

No man had ever pleasured her the way Jon did.  And to have something deeper, with a solid foundation, made it all the more amazing. 

“Did you have fun at your sleepover, Auntie Sansa?”  Lyarra asked.  Sansa’s heart skipped a beat.  She’d been so worried about what Robb may or may not have said about her lateness, she hadn’t considered her niece’s contribution. 

“What, sweetie?”  Sansa asked, trying to buy time. 

“I wanted to play this morning, but you weren’t in your room.  Daddy said you had a sleepover at your friend’s house.  When I go to a sleepover, we watch movies and eat pizza.  Did you eat pizza?” 

Sansa was very much aware that every pair of eyes in the room were on her and Lyarra.  It was such an innocent question.  Lyarra could have no idea just how much she’d landed Sansa in it.

“I had fun, yes.  But not pizza.”  She wasn’t quite sure what else to say. 

Lyarra nodded.  “I watched Cinderella instead.  Mommy watched it with me.  I picked it because Uncle Jon loves you like Prince Charming loves Cinderella.  Remember?”

“Lyarra, sweetheart, why don’t we go and play outside?”  Jeyne made an attempt to rescue the situation and gave Sansa an apologetic look.  “It’s a nice day.  Why don’t we go and play a game in the back yard with Neddy?  You can see Auntie Sansa a bit later.” 

Jeyne scooped up Neddy and led Lyarra out of the room, but the damage had already been done.  Sansa felt absolutely mortified.  Her niece owed her.  And big time. 

She hoped that one day, when Lyarra was an adult, they could laugh and joke about this. 

“I think we can all guess which _friend_ you stayed over with last night”, snorted Arya.  Her sister wasn’t much more help than her niece. 

“Arya”, said their father warningly.  Sansa gave him a grateful smile.  Her father could always be counted upon for support. 

“Fine.  I actually wasn’t going to bring this up today, but since Lyarra has completely outed us – I’m seeing Jon.”  Sansa looked around the room and tried to gauge reaction, though she doubted there would be any extensive objections. 

Her family had always been fond of Jon.  Arya was looking unbearably smug, Gendry seemed a bit awkward – as did Bran – and her parents kept exchanging what Sansa interpreted as worrying glances. 

“This is a bit sudden”, her mother commented finally.  “Unless that concert you went to was actually a date?  I know you said it wasn’t going to be, but - ”

“It wasn’t”, Sansa shook her head.  She really didn’t want to give her parents a detailed run-down on the evolution of her relationship with Jon.  “And there’s something else you should know too.”

“You’re pregnant”, said Arya.  Sansa glared at her sister.  Was Arya deliberately trying to be unhelpful?

“I am not pregnant!  Jon and I may be very much together, but we are nowhere near that stage yet.  I had a big announcement planned for during dinner but I suppose I might as well tell you now.  I’m leaving LA Medics and moving back to New York.  I want to work from here – “

Her mother squealed, and ran over to hug her tightly.  “You’re coming home?”

Sansa nodded, and then stepped back.  “It is also important to me that you know I took this decision myself.  And I did so when Jon and I were nothing more than friends.”

Her mother hugged her again, and then made it clear that she was setting an extra place for lunch next Sunday.  And would not be taking _no_ for an answer from Jon. 

Sansa smiled.  With most men she would be worried about them having to deal with her family, but Jon had known the Starks for twenty-five years and it hadn’t put him off yet. 

“I thought he was making moon-eyes at you at the party.  Explains why you were so rattled when I asked about you being friends now”, Arya told her a little later.  Sansa had volunteered to set out the jug of fruit juice for lunch, and her sister had tagged along.  As usual, Sansa was doing all the work while Arya sat upon the counter with cookies.

“Were we that obvious?” Sansa asked.

“Jon’s like a puppy dog sometimes”, Arya shrugged.  “Always has been.  And it was like you were the person he wanted to give him treats.”

Sansa tried not to blush at that.  It had given her more than a couple of ideas.  She and Jon had a lot of time to make up for. 

Her phone pinged, and she pulled it out to see a message from Jon. 

_I miss you._

Sansa scrunched up her nose and smiled before typing a reply. 

_Miss you too._

“Gods, if this is what you’re like then I’d hate to see him”, Arya sighed.  “What does Robb think?”

“He’s fine with it.  As long as nothing happens on his sofa, apparently”, said Sansa. 

She dreaded to think what would’ve happened if Robb hadn’t been alright with his best friend and his sister getting together.  Thankfully it had all worked out – Robb had even been instrumental in them getting together. 

“He actually told you that?” Arya laughed. 

“He told Jon that”, Sansa joined in her laughter.  “Poor Robb.”

“Gendry is looking for you.”  Her mother walked in the door, and practically dismissed Arya.  Sansa looked at her sister and they exchanged eye rolls. 

Her mother collected the cutlery and began to lay out the table for their lunch.  Sansa figured whatever concerns her mother had about Jon were about to be aired. 

She took the jug of fruit juice she had prepared, and set it in the centre of the table. 

“Well?” she asked. 

“What?” her mother asked innocently. 

“You pretty much sent Arya away.  I thought you were happy about me moving back home.”  Sansa sat down in the nearest chair.  “Or is this about Jon?  You always liked Jon.”

“I did.  I do”, her mother amended.  She set the cutlery down on the table and then sat next to Sansa.  “I just want you to be sure.  I know you said Jon had nothing to do with your decision to move home, but I saw the two of you at your opening night and at the party.  You were never that close.”

“I know.”  Sansa fidgeted. 

“Jon and I now is very different to Jon and I when we were younger.  Mostly because harsh reality has shown me that I should value who Jon is higher than I once did.  I love him.  And he says he loves me.  I believe him when he says that because he has never – not once since the day Robb brought him over for a play date when they were five – shown me that he is any sort of liar.  Even when he and Robb misbehaved, Jon always admitted what they had done.”

“That is true.  I just – I just want you to be sure.  After everything, I want you to be sure that you are with someone who deserves you.”  Sansa almost laughed in derision.  If anything, it was uncertain as to whether she deserved _him_.

Sansa thought back to what she’d said to Arya the Sunday Jeyne had announced her pregnancy.  _I want a man who is kind and generous.  Someone who makes me laugh, but knows when I need a hug.  Someone I can be comfortable being silly around, but who will sit and just listen if I need to talk.  Someone who is smart and doesn’t assume they know who I am because of the job I do.  Someone who cares about more than themselves._  

She repeated these words to her mother.  “Jon is all of those things.”

“How did Robb take the news?  It didn’t seem to come as much of a surprise to him and Jeyne.”

“It wasn’t…..he took it well.  And they were both really excited when I told them about my plans to move home.”  Her mother _really_ didn’t need to know the lengths Robb had gone to in getting her and Jon together. 

“Robb trusts Jon.”

Her mother came over and gave Sansa another hug.  “I can’t wait for you to move home, sweetheart.  And I’m not against Jon.  I just want you to be sure.  You deserve some happiness in that part of your life, and if he gives you that then it’ll be enough for me.  But I meant what I said earlier.  Bring Jon over next Sunday.”

Sansa snorted. 

“So you can all do your best to try and scare him off?  I have to warn you, he doesn’t seem to scare that easily.  I do understand where you’re coming from, though.  Even a year ago, I wouldn’t have ever thought of Jon as anything more than Robb’s ever-present best friend.  But since we’ve got to know each other properly, we’ve found something there.  Something that we want to explore further.”

Her mother nodded, and Sansa looked forward to many more Sundays at her parents’ house when she moved back to New York.  Sundays that also involved Jon.  Sansa also couldn’t help hoping Jon would continue the routine of orgasms and breakfast they’d started the day with.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loras is outed, Sansa realizes how good she has it with Jon, and Jon extends an invitation.

Jon and Sansa’s honeymoon period lasted a mere ten days. 

Jon was at work, reviewing some of the witness statements given around the time of Theon Greyjoy’s initial arrest, when he heard an urgent knock on his office door. 

“Come in”, Jon called.  Normally his secretary Morna vetoed visitors, but she was currently at the dentist undergoing emergency root canal. 

Sam walked in the door with a nervous look on his face that had Jon instantly worried.  It reminded him fiercely of the day Sam had warned him that Val had eloped with Tormund, and he wondered why.  His relationship with Val was most definitely over. 

And he doubted Sansa – who Sam didn’t even know was Jon’s girlfriend – would have eloped. 

No, Sansa wasn’t eloping with another man.  Not after the weekend they’d shared.  Jon shook himself mentally and returned his attention to Sam. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked as Sam closed the door over.  “Sam?  Seriously.  You look pretty shocked about something.”

“Have you heard from Sansa over the last couple of days?”  Jon nodded silently, blood running cold.  Had something happened to her?  He immediately grabbed his phone, and realized from the missed calls that he must have set it to silent. 

“Sam?  Did something happen to her?” Jon was nervous, but he didn’t want to find out about whatever had gone wrong for her through a text message.  “Is she alright?  Sansa, she’s alright isn’t she?  She wasn’t hurt or anything?  For the love of all the gods!”

“She’s fine, she’s fine.”  Sam seemed more concerned about him now than whatever was up with Sansa.  “Well – as fine as I guess she probably can be for a woman whose boyfriend was just completely outed in the national press.”

“That’s all?”  Jon breathed a deep sigh of relief.  “Sorry – I thought something had happened to her.  Like, a car accident or something.  Just…….yeah.  So, Loras?  That must be why she’s been calling me.  I have a couple of missed calls from her and some texts.  Also some from Robb.”

“I heard Thorne, Tanner and a couple of the others talking about it while they were getting coffee, so I went to check it out online”, Sam explained.  He sat down in the chair opposite Jon’s.

“Apparently some crazy fan snuck into the grounds of his house on a dare last night and managed to take a load of photographs of him and another man.  The rumour is that the other guy is his agent.  Renly something or other.”

“Renly Baratheon”, supplied Jon.  He shrugged at the look of surprise on Sam’s face.  “Two seconds.”

Jon opened up a new tab on his browser and searched for the most reputable news website he could think of.  It was all over the press – including, as Sam had mentioned, photographic evidence.  “Wow.”

As bad as he felt for Loras, Jon’s first concern was for Sansa.  The press story also mentioned the fact that they’d been in a relationship for around a year.  Jon didn’t want her upset and harassed when it was press intrusion that had started this farce in the first place. 

As far as he was concerned, they only had themselves to blame for Sansa trying to outwit them.

He picked his phone back up and dialed Sansa’s number.  She picked up on the fifth ring.   “Sorry, I had my phone on silent.  Sam’s just been in to tell me.  How are you holding up?”

“Better than Loras”, she sighed.  “I got a call from Brienne at some stupid hour of the morning telling me about it.  The dirt rags had contacted her looking for a comment or statement from me they could use in their articles.  Brienne told them I wouldn’t be saying anything, but I guess I’ll have to soon.  Marge was in Italy.  She’s flying back on the family jet.”

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”

“Me too.”  She sounded upset.  “I just – this arrangement I had with Loras was meant to prevent today.  I spoke to Varys at the theatre.  He told me to take a few days off and lay low, but there are photographers outside the apartment building and I’m worried about Jeyne.  The stress of this is too much with the baby and everything.”

“Why don’t you lie low at mine?”  Jon suggested.  He bit his lip. 

“Robb has a spare set of keys that Jeyne can give you.  I should get a set cut for you anyway.  I don’t know why I haven’t done so already.  Pack a bag with enough clothes for a few days, and then take a car to my house.  If you’re seen leaving the building with a bag, then maybe they’ll stop staking out Robb’s.”

“Are – are you sure?”  Jon chuckled. 

How could she think he wouldn’t want to go home to her every night, even with these crappy circumstances?  He felt bad about how excited he was.  Jon knew Sansa loved the play she was in and wouldn’t want to take time off from it.

“I’m sure”, he confirmed.  “Sansa?  I, uhm, I’d like to tell Sam.”

“Jon, you don’t need my permission to tell Sam.  Tell him everything – I’m sure it’ll be all over the press soon anyway.  Welcome to my world.  I wish being with me didn’t contaminate you.”

“You don’t contaminate me”, Jon told her.  “You don’t.  Text me when you make it to the house.  I got a flyer in the paper this morning for a new Italian place that’s opened up a couple of blocks away.  I’ll order us pizza for dinner and pick up some wine on the way.  A bottle or two of that Barolo you like.”

“That sounds amazing.  I’m currently grateful for whatever it is I did to deserve you.  I’m going to go pack and get those keys from Jeyne.  I love you.”

“Love you, too”, he replied, knowing a stupid grin was growing across his face.  “See you tonight, sweetheart.”

Jon ended the call and turned to Sam.  “So, I guess I have some explaining to do.”

**********

Sansa wiped her eyes and grabbed her smallest suitcase.  She began filling it with essentials for a few days – clothes, some lingerie she figured Jon would appreciate, and her toiletries – before going through to the kitchen to see Jeyne. 

Her sister-in-law grabbed a cup and poured out some coffee.  “Here.”

“Thanks”, said Sansa gratefully.  “Did Lyarra get off to her summer dance school alright?”

“Yeah.  I asked Dacey to take her.  She lives a couple of blocks away and her daughter is in Lyarra’s class.” 

Jeyne looked exhausted, and Sansa felt a sense of both guilt and relief run through her that Neddy was content to sit in front of the TV and watch cartoons for once. 

“I just got off the phone with Jon.  He says you have his spare keys?”  Jeyne nodded. 

“He suggested I hide out at his place for a few days until this thing blows over a bit.  Hopefully keep the vultures away from you.  I am so, so sorry for the problems I’m causing.  I know you and Robb didn’t bargain on this when you offered me your guest room.”

“It isn’t your fault that these people are scum, Sansa.”  Jeyne walked over to a drawer and pulled out a set of keys.  She threw them over, and Sansa caught them.  “You don’t have to leave if you don’t want to, but I’d bet a good portion of Lyarra’s college fund on Jon being pretty well up for the idea of you staying at his.”

“Yeah.”  Sansa felt her goofy Jon grin appear and tried to erase it.  “I just – I’m just a bit worried this will make him think twice about us.  Not because he doesn’t love me, but because the trouble that comes with me is too much.”

“Jon isn’t that guy”, Jeyne told her firmly.  “Did you speak to Loras?”

“Yeah.”  It had been a horrible conversation, and Sansa felt for him.  First and foremost, Loras was her friend.  And he had been ambushed for no other reason than he was in love.  

She wondered which cruel god of fate had prompted that fan to choose a night Renly was staying over.  Sansa knew most of the time it was Renly’s house they spent the night at.

“He says the team have given him indefinite leave.  They haven’t cancelled his contract or anything, but they have said that he isn’t mentally where he needs to be – they have play offs and the team needs to be able to concentrate on matches, not on their private lives.  Loras says it isn’t anything personal.  They did the same thing last year when one of the guys admitted having a gambling addiction.” 

Sansa sighed, and took a sip of her coffee. 

“That’s something, I guess”, Jeyne agreed. 

“Loras said he’s had a lot of support from the community.  People reaching out on Twitter.”

“And you?  What support have you had?”

Sansa snorted.  “According to Brienne, most of the press are taking aim for me as much as they are enjoying hounding Loras.  They think either I concocted a fake relationship for kicks – which is an exaggeration of the truth – or I had no idea.  There are even a few who think his relationship with me turned him gay.”

“Urgh.”  Jeyne made a face.  “How stupid can some of these people get, really?”

“Very.  And on top of everything else, they’re bringing up the stuff about Joffrey and Harry again.”  Sansa ran her fingers through her hair. 

“I thought I was making a fresh start and all this has done is dredge up everything I thought I’d left behind.  Maybe I shouldn’t have suggested keeping this façade going until I went back to LA.  I just – I wanted a few weeks with Jon where we could live inside our own little bubble.  Just the two of us.”

“It isn’t wrong to want that.  But, Sans, you can’t blame yourself.  You did nothing wrong here.  You haven’t hurt anyone.”  Jeyne came round and gave her a big hug. 

“Phone yourself a car and have them take you to Jon’s.  It’s still early.  You’ll have time to take a bath, get settled and change into something nice before he gets home.”

“That does sound good”, Sansa chuckled.  “I can’t wait to move back here.  I love Marge and Loras, but they aren’t family.”

While she was waiting for a car, Sansa called her mother to let her know she would be at Jon’s. 

“You could come here, you know”, her mother suggested. 

“They know where you live.  They don’t know about Jon”, Sansa told her.  “I don’t want to cause trouble for any of you.”

She didn’t mention that she actually quite liked the idea of spending a few evenings alone with Jon in his house, not allowing the outside world to get in the way. 

It would be even better if he could take some time away from his office, but Sansa knew he’d taken a couple of personal days less than a fortnight ago – and she doubted his bosses would see this as a legitimate reason for emergency leave. 

“Sansa, you’ve never caused trouble for any of us.  And I do understand you wanting to stay with Jon.  I would probably want to do the same in your position.  Is there anything you need?”

“No.  The car should be here soon, and I’ve packed some things for the next few days.  Actually…….you could do some shopping for me?”  Jon deserved better than take-out pizza. 

“I want to make Jon a good meal tonight but I can’t exactly go to the shops at the moment.  Not when my face is plastered across the front of those gossip rags.”

Sansa was mentally planning a cosy night in for the two of them, in which they could hopefully forget the garbage that was being strewn over the press.  If they could get through this with their relationship intact, Sansa was positive it would bode well for the future. 

**********

Jon made sure to leave work on time.  He’d had a long day, which had ended with an abrupt conversation with Alliser Thorne and a couple of others over Sansa and Loras.  They knew that Jon was friends with Robb, and thought it entitled them to laugh at her in front of him.  Jon made it clear in no uncertain terms that he had known Sansa since she was three years old and she was a good person.

A much better person than them.  And she was not someone to make a fool of. 

He stopped off at a grocery store just past his stop, and picked up some wine for the two of them.  Jon also grabbed a few other essentials, reasoning that Sansa could hardly go out herself and would be staying for more than a night. 

Although the circumstances were disappointing, Jon couldn’t deny he was excited to be coming home to Sansa. 

It might be too early on in their relationship to voice it to Sansa herself – Jon didn’t want to freak her out – but he wouldn’t object too much if she never left. 

As he approached his house, Jon found himself relieved that there wasn’t any press about.  They hadn’t tracked her here.  He took his keys from his pocket and opened the front door. 

“I’m home!” Jon called.

“Good, you’re back!” Sansa came out into the hallway and greeted him with a kiss that, when he could think again, confirmed Jon’s earlier assessment that he never wanted Sansa to leave. 

“I could get used to this.”  Sansa grabbed the hand which wasn’t holding his shopping and pulled Jon into his dining room. 

She had laid the table with all of the good stuff Dany had made him pick out (and which he seldom used) and lit two candles for them.  Jon could see Sansa had a bottle of wine open, and she grinned at him as she poured them a glass each. 

“How – “

“My mother dropped off some shopping”, Sansa shrugged.  “I made us stir fry with noodles.  It should be ready in about fifteen minutes.”

Jon walked over to Sansa, put the proffered wine glass on the table, and kissed her.  “I ever mention how much I love you?”

“Once or twice”, Sansa smiled.  “And, if you’re a good boy and eat up all your dinner, you might just get a demonstration in how much I love _you_.”

Jon’s cock stirred at those words, and he moved to kiss Sansa again.  He could get very used to this very quickly.  If Sansa hadn’t already started dinner, he wasn’t entirely sure they would be staying downstairs for very long.  

“Oh, I’ll be a very good boy for you”, Jon whispered in her ear.  He could feel Sansa shiver at his words, and began to nibble on her earlobe. 

“It’s a shame dinner is almost ready.  What I’d like to do to you will take a _lot_ longer than fifteen minutes.  In fact, I’d bet on it taking all night.”

“Sounds like I’m in for a fun evening.”  Sansa turned her face and cupped his cheek.  “As much as I want to do whatever you have planned, I have to finish making our dinner.”

She stepped away from him with a grin on her face, and it hit Jon yet again just how far gone he was on Sansa Stark.  Nevertheless, he pulled his mind out of the gutter and followed her through to his kitchen – a kitchen he could see Sansa had made her own. 

There were a variety of pans and implements he hadn’t seen since Dany insisted he buy them.  Perhaps she’d had a point.

“It smells amazing”, Jon told Sansa honestly.  He wrapped his arms around her waist while she stirred the food.  He could pick up the hint of the lemon zest he saw evidence of lying next to the pan. 

Jon kissed her on the cheek.  “I love this.  Coming home and having you here.”

“I hate not being at the theatre and I hate what is happening with Loras.  But, yeah, I love being here with you.  It was a little weird, being here alone today, but I enjoyed cooking for us.  It was nice to do a normal couple-like thing”, Sansa told him. 

Jon liked that word.  _Couple_.  They were a _couple_.  They were an _us_.    

It was the high from that which made Jon blurt out the hope he hadn’t intended to share. 

“You should stay here while you’re looking for a new place.  After your run at the theatre is over, and you’ve packed up your house in LA.  Robb’s guest room will be a nursery soon, and it’ll mean you can take your time and look for the right place rather than buy the first one you see just so Robb can get started painting.”

Sansa spun round quickly and apologized for the braid that thwacked him in the face.  Jon could see the nervousness in her eyes, and hoped it meant that she wanted to stay. 

“You – you would be alright with that?  You don’t think it’s too……soon?”  She bit her lip in a way that was far more adorable than when either Robb or Arya did it. 

“I would be more than alright with it”, Jon told her honestly.  “I love you.  All day, as much as I hate to see or hear you upset, I’ve loved the thought of coming home to you.  And as for it being too soon, I’ve known you almost all our lives.”

Sansa laughed, and he saw the nervousness evaporate.  “Then, yes.  I would love to be your houseguest, Jon Snow.”

“Good.”  He lifted Sansa up and placed her on the counter.  Jon stood between her legs and kissed her softly.  “I love you.”

“I can’t cook dinner from here”, she reminded him.  To Jon’s dismay, Sansa jumped down onto the floor and stirred the food again.  “That’s it ready.”

Jon’s stomach rumbled in response.

**********

Sansa spent most of dinner playing footsie with Jon and feeling guilty that while Loras went through hell, she was just about hitting cloud nine with Jon. 

When her house in LA had been without water one weekend due to a mains fault, she’d gone to Margaery’s because Joffrey had said the ninth month of their relationship was too soon for her to stay with him.  She’d never spent two consecutive nights at Harry’s because the year or so they’d been together was apparently too early for something like that. 

Sansa acknowledged that she and Jon had known one another their entire lives, but they’d been a couple for all of ten days and he was already fine with her spending an unlimited amount of time at his house while she searched for a new apartment? 

Once again, she wondered just why it had taken her so long to truly appreciate Jon Snow. 

In some ways, it scared the hell out of Sansa that she was this in love with Jon – and this comfortable with him – so soon.  But, she reflected, she couldn’t measure Jon against her previous boyfriends.  Unlike the bulk of them, he was a decent human being.  And one who treated her like the princess she’d dreamed of being as a child. 

Her phone pinged.  Sansa wanted to ignore it, but she supposed they couldn’t shut out the rest of the world forever.  And it might be her mother or father, making sure she was alright. 

She unlocked her phone to find a message from Loras. 

_Soccer Update on ESPN.  Seven PM Eastern.  Tune in.  You’ve been amazing and I’ll make sure everyone knows it, darling.  Loras._

Sansa handed her phone to Jon.  “He must be doing some sort of interview.  I wonder if Marge suggested it.  Or Renly.  Do you have ESPN?”

“I do”, Jon nodded.  He glanced at his watch.  “It’ll be on in fifteen minutes.  I can dump this in the dishwasher and be sitting down by the time it comes on.”

Sansa smiled and set her phone back down on the table. 

She allowed herself one last comparison with her previous relationships – at no point had any man she’d been with taken it for granted that he would sort out the dishes after she’d cooked them a meal.  All bar Jon had simply assumed Sansa would take responsibility for clearing them away.

Jeyne had been right, that day in Central Park all those months ago.  Jon Snow was a keeper.

Sansa replenished their glasses of wine and set the TV to ESPN while Jon sorted out the dishes.  He’d just come and snuggled in beside her on the sofa when the programme started.  Sansa pressed the button to unmute the TV, and listened to what Robar Royce was saying. 

“…..but first, we have an exclusive on _Soccer Update_.  We all woke up this morning to compromising pictures of LA Galaxy midfielder Loras Tyrell.  Such pictures will spark debate on privacy issues, but the main conversation over the last twelve hours or so has centred on Tyrell’s sexuality.  I sat down with him just a couple of hours ago, and this was what he had to say.”

The image on screen shifted to Royce and Loras sitting in what Sansa quickly identified was Margaery’s patio.  She recognized the view of the Pacific Ocean, and cuddled further into the warm nook she’d found for herself in Jon’s arms. 

“All forms of media have been awash today with pictures allegedly showing you in a compromising position with another man.  Do you have any comment to make on that?” Royce asked. 

“A compromising position?”  Sansa could tell Loras was bemused by Royce’s choice of words if nothing else. 

“Those words make it all sound so scandalous.  I guess that’s how newspapers sell themselves, how online articles bait readers to click on that link.  In reality, what those pictures show is one human being kissing another human being.”

“That answer sounds a lot like Marge had a hand in it”, Sansa murmured to Jon. 

“Nevertheless”, Royce continued.  “These pictures have led to you being removed from the LA Galaxy team for their upcoming play-off match against Houston Dynamo.”

“It isn’t the first time the team have taken such action.  It is for the good of the team that anyone with the potential to distract from an important match isn’t involved, regardless of the circumstances”, Loras pointed out.  “And I don’t feel like the team are victimizing me.”

“Good answer”, Jon told her.  “If he wants to keep his job, he needs to make sure he keeps his bosses on side.”

Royce then asked about the identity of the other person in the photograph.  “ _National Enquirer_ have identified the other man in the photograph as your agent, Renly Baratheon.”

“It is”, Loras confirmed.  “It may be the first time the _Enquirer_ has been right about something, but I could be wrong on that score.  Renly and I have been involved – in a relationship – however you want to term it, for a few years now.”

“So you admit that you’re gay?” Royce asked.  Sansa watched as Loras took in a deep breath. 

“I do.  It isn’t something I have ever chosen to discuss.  There haven’t been many trailblazers in my sport, paving the way for me.  I guess I’ll be the one that paves the way for others to speak out.  If they wish to do so.  That is what angered me so much about these photographs.  They were taken by someone who illegally entered the grounds of my property.  I have never been ashamed of who I am, but I was forced to speak, and I would not wish that on another.”

“And Sansa Stark?  You have been photographed together on numerous occasions.  There were even rumours of a wedding recently.”

“I wondered when I’d make it into the conversation”, Sansa muttered.  She tightened her grip on Jon, and he kissed the top of her head. 

“Loras is your friend.  He’s going to protect you as best he can”, Jon tried to assure her.  “As will I.  I love you.”

“Love you, too”, Sansa replied as Loras began his response. 

“Everyone watching should take note – Sansa Stark is a wonderful person and one of my closest friends.  And yet, she’s been hounded by the press almost as badly as I have been today.  At the suggestion of a mutual friend, she and I entered into an arrangement.  People can laugh and call her my beard all they want, but Sansa has supported me for years.  She has helped me keep my private life private.  She has known who I am since the day we first met and has never once judged me”, said Loras. 

Sansa could feel Jon squeeze her arm.  She’d have to send Loras a basket of something. 

“Sansa is an amazing friend.  More than anyone I know, she deserves to be happy.  If everyone had a Sansa Stark in their lives then the world would be a much better place.”

“At the risk of sounding corny, my life is much better with you in it”, Jon told her.  Sansa turned her head and kissed him softly. 

“At the risk of sounding corny, my life is much better with you in it”, Sansa replied.  “Would you – when you can get some vacation time, would you come out to LA with me and help pack up my house?  We could have it done in a long weekend, given most of my stuff is shoes and clothes.”

“That sounds great”, Jon nodded.  “And later on in the year, when I can get more vacation time, will you come to New Orleans with me to visit Rhae?  I am long overdue on that visit I owe her.”

“I think I can manage that.”  She liked making plans with Jon, trying to build a future with him.  It had been a long few months since her birthday, but Sansa finally felt like she’d found what she was looking for. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more to go!


	22. Epilogue - One Year Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We catch up with Jon and Sansa a year on from the last chapter......

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who has read, commented and left kudos on this story! I cannot believe we have reached the final chapter already.

Jon packed up the last of his books and clearly labelled the box.  They wouldn’t be moving for another few days, but he wanted to be prepared in any case. 

Packing with Sansa around proved impossible – a lesson Jon figured he should have learned when they went to LA to move her back home the previous September. 

After two days in which Jon and Sansa barely left her bed, Loras and Renly had staged an intervention.  Loras had helped Sansa pack up the contents of the upstairs rooms while Renly and Jon filled boxes with the contents of those downstairs. 

Wary of what had happened to Loras and Renly, Jon had resisted the temptation to have sex with Sansa in her swimming pool.  They had, however, made sure all the windows were covered and bade a fond farewell to each and every room in her soon to be former house.  Several times.

Jon looked round the study fondly.  He had spent more than a few Saturdays in here working through some paperwork for the office while Sansa was at theatre auditions or off filming a guest role in a TV drama series. 

He’d found it difficult to work while Sansa was in the house.  That honeymoon phase in which he couldn’t get enough of being with her still hadn’t really ended. 

Jon’s thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his phone.  “Hi, Dany.  How are you?”

“Fuming!”  Jon bit back a laugh.  “The florist I hired can’t deliver the blue roses.  There’s a scarcity of them this year.  I’ve had to source them from another one at three times the price.  All because you – “

“They were my mother’s favourites.  And they were the first flowers I gave to Sansa”, Jon reminded her. 

From time to time, he regretted handing so much of the wedding over to Dany.  But his hours had lengthened following his recent promotion in Appeals at the PD’s Office, and Sansa was currently appearing in Forel’s latest play.  Her role in his previous one had been such a success that he’d refused to countenance hiring another actress. 

“Gods, but you have Rhaegar’s romantic nature”, Dany snorted down the phone. 

“I think I got it from both of them, if I’m honest”, Jon admitted. 

He’d got to know Rhaegar a lot better in the last year.  Since he’d began reaching out, they’d spent more time together than Jon had ever anticipated.  Rhaegar had even spent Christmas Day with the Starks, though Jon knew he’d been with Rhae and Aegon for Thanksgiving. 

“I spoke to Rhaegar last night”, Jon added.  “He says he’ll make it in two days before.  The tour can’t release him any earlier.  It isn’t a long one, but Europe _is_ on the other side of the Atlantic.

“I know”, Dany huffed.  “Just to be clear, if I didn’t love you as much as I do then I would’ve given up on organizing your wedding weeks ago.”

“Not months ago?”  Jon asked cheekily. 

“No, it only became unbearable when I got your exacting requirements.  I’ve had worse clients.  Did I tell you about the couple from Poughkeepsie I’m working with at the moment?  Seven times they’ve changed their minds about what colour the kitchen should be.  Seven times, Jon!”

“That’s why they pay you the big bucks, oh favourite aunt of mine”, Jon grinned.  “How’s Daario?”

“Fine.  Looking forward to getting to the Hamptons.  He loves the ocean.  I better go, but I’ll speak to you again soon.”

“Bye, Dany.”

“Bye.”

Jon hung up the call.  For all her dramatics, Jon knew that Dany only wanted things to be perfect for him and Sansa. 

They had given her such modest demands that, to start off with, she’d been surprised at the simplicity of what they wanted – and had told Jon so more than once at their regular lunches.  She’d opened a design store a few blocks from his office back in November, and they met for lunch once a week.

He glanced at his watch, and estimated Sansa would be another hour or so.  She was using her Monday off to go to Doc. Luwin’s with Jeyne and then going back to the apartment for lunch.  Baby Ellie was due a check-up, and Sansa was making up for lost time after being away when Lyarra and Neddy were born. 

Robb had been convinced that Jeyne was having another boy, and lost out on their bet when she gave birth to a girl they named for Jeyne’s sister. 

The last year hadn’t been easy, Jon mused as he packed up the rest of his study/office.  He and Sansa had argued a couple of times – once so badly that he’d spent the night on their sofa.  Jon had lasted until around six AM before he started cooking a mammoth breakfast he delivered to her in bed, along with his apologies. 

Jon was looking forward to moving into the house Sansa had found for them.  He would miss this Brooklyn brownstone that he’d once seen himself living in for years to come.  But Sansa wanted to do more theatre, so it made sense to move back to Manhattan. 

 _Alayne_ had awakened a passion for that medium she wanted to explore further and Jon was selfishly relieved that it meant she would be working mostly in New York for the time being.

He really would miss this place.  But Sansa was the most important person in his life and Jon was determined to do whatever she needed to be happy.  Dany was right – he was a romantic at heart. 

Jon’s phone pinged with a text from Arya. 

_You and Sansa want to do dinner next weekend?  I have a seminar in the city and Gendry wants to stay over.  Let me know soon.  We have other exciting people we could spend our time with.  Arya._

Jon snorted and sent off a quick reply. 

 _Would love to.  I don’t think we have anything planned for then, but I’ll let you know if there’s something I’ve forgotten.  Sansa is better at keeping up with our schedule than I am.  Even if we can’t make dinner, it’ll be great to see you both again.  We’ve missed you.  Jon._  

**********

Sansa exited Doc. Luwin’s office with a sense of nervous anticipation building up inside her.  She could feel butterflies in her stomach, and they were not alone. 

Jeyne was sitting on a chair in the waiting room with Neddy and Ellie, reading them a story, when Sansa approached. 

“Auntie Sansa!”  Neddy exclaimed, as if it had been more than fifteen minutes since he saw her last.  She’d noticed how clingy he got from time to time with her and Jon now that the baby was here. 

He wasn’t used to sharing his parents with anyone other than Lyarra, and found that his godfather and aunt could be as attentive as he liked. 

“Neddy!”  Sansa replied in an equally-excited tone.  She took her nephew’s hand while Jeyne gathered up Ellie’s things. 

Having been in LA for most of Lyarra and Neddy’s lives, she hadn’t quite realized how much of a production it was doing something as simple as taking two young children to the doctor.

They walked down to the street, where Jeyne had parked the family car, and loaded the children in.  Sansa jumped into the front seat beside her sister-in-law, and waited. 

She fidgeted with her seatbelt and looked at her watch.  Jon wasn’t expecting her back for a while.  She’d told him that Jeyne had invited her back for lunch after the appointment was finished, but both of them knew Sansa wouldn’t stay that long after. 

She was more excited about the new house than she thought Jon was – a house Dany had glumly told them didn’t really require much in the way of decorating.  To her dismay the previous owner had done it up before selling. 

Although she’d been living with Jon since her move back to New York, Sansa had always felt that she was living in his house.  This would be _theirs_.  A home they’d chosen together. 

A home in which they could make memories.  And a family. 

“Well?” Jeyne asked as she pulled out into traffic.  “How did your appointment go?”

“As expected”, Sansa told her with a grin.  “I’m still coming to lunch, but that’s mostly because I’m trying to figure out a way to spring the surprise.  How about your appointment?”

“Also as expected”, Jeyne told her.  “And it isn’t surprise that I’m anticipating.  It’s shock.  I suppose if nothing else, we seem to have proved your Aunt Lysa right.”

Sansa laughed.  “There are advantages, though.”

“What?  The fact that I haven’t given away all of my maternity clothes yet?”  Jeyne laughed.  Sansa turned round to shush Ellie, who had started to fuss.  She made a few faces at her niece and soon had her content again. 

“You’ll have to come and help me pick some out”, Sansa told her when she was facing the front again.  “You do know that, technically speaking, this is all Robb’s fault?  Completely, one full hundred percent.”

Jeyne found this hilarious.  “How do you work that out?”

“Both of us caught that ‘flu he claimed to be dying of a couple of months back.  Both of us took medication for it because the strain mutated when he passed it on and Doc. Luwin prescribed us those weird looking pills for it.  Remember?”  Jeyne nodded. 

“Those pills will be what interfered with our birth control.  So, Robb is completely responsible for the fact that just under seven months from now, he’ll be greeting his fourth child and first niece or nephew.”

“That is absolutely the first thing you should tell Robb if he acts all big-brother after you announce Jon’s knocked you up.”

Sansa, however, was more concerned about telling her fiancé than she was about telling her big brother.  She and Jon had spoken, abstractly, about having children.  They _had_ agreed they wanted to have children.  They had not agreed _when_ they wanted to. 

Would he be disappointed that they wouldn’t have that precious time as newly-weds, alone together, before a baby came into the picture?

Of course, they’d be married before the baby was born.  Dany would have to know soon – she had arranged for a designer friend of hers, Grey, to discretely create a beautiful and secret wedding gown.  They’d have to know that Sansa’s measurements could possibly change in the next six weeks or so. 

Perhaps she’d be lucky like Jeyne and not show until around the fourth month?

Jeyne seemed to know what she was thinking.  “I was nervous when I told Robb about Lyarra.  The first one is always the hardest.  Though I seem to be worrying myself a lot about the fourth.  Jon won’t be angry.  I doubt he’ll even be disappointed.  He looks at you like you’re his whole world.  He’ll look at you and see that you’ve expanded that world.”

Sansa nodded.  Jeyne always said the most beautiful things.  Also, Sansa had tended over the last week or so to get overly emotional at just about everything.  Jon had asked her more than once if she’d changed her mind about moving. 

Thankfully her run in this year’s Forel play was soon to be over.  She’d have to call Brienne and cancel the auditions and jobs she had lined up for after – all except that animated feature.  She could do the audio for that in her pyjamas at the studio if she wanted. 

“Do you think people will wonder if the baby is the reason Jon and I are getting married now?”  Sansa wondered aloud. 

She wasn’t overly bothered.  The press had given her a bit of a free pass in the last year.  Ever since Loras had come out fighting and made it clear they only had themselves to blame for people seeking refuge in a fake relationship. 

“Would it matter if they did?”  Jeyne asked.  “Does it matter what anyone else thinks if you and Jon know the truth?”

“It doesn’t.” Sansa replied.  “It really doesn’t.”

Her wedding to Jon wasn’t exactly public knowledge.  There had been a sweet little announcement her mother had placed in the New York Times around a week after Jon had proposed on Valentine’s Day, but nothing else. 

Dany was helping them plan a small ceremony at the Hamptons house she’d rented for the summer.  It was big enough that, along with the house the Starks had rented nearby, there would be enough room for all the guests. 

The guest list wasn’t that long, in the end.  Her extended family aside, Sansa had only invited Marge, Renly, Loras and Brienne.  Jon’s guest list had been even shorter. 

Rhae was coming up from New Orleans and Rhaegar was flying in from his current tour in Europe.  Dany would be there, along with Daario, and Jon had invited Sam, Gilly and the children, plus his former roommates and their respective girlfriends. 

Her parents, Rhaegar, Robb, Jeyne and Arya were the only people other than Dany who knew the true purpose of the weekend.  Everyone else believed they were simply spending Labour Day weekend celebrating Jon and Sansa’s engagement.  With the guest spot she’d filmed in a new sci-fi drama, and her current play, they hadn’t really had a formal celebration for that yet.  At least, not one with everybody present. 

She didn’t stay long after they’d finished lunch.  Both Neddy and Ellie were due naps and Jeyne wanted to take full advantage of that before she had to go and pick Lyarra up from school. 

And Sansa was increasingly desperate to get home to Jon and tell him her news.  Well, their news. 

In the end, Sansa almost ran into the house.   She’d have to stop that soon.  At least until she’d had words with Jeyne about how much exercise she should be doing at each stage of her pregnancy.  The only question she’d asked about strenuous activity so far was whether sex with Jon would hurt the baby. 

She’d been unable to face asking Doc. Luwin and so had cornered Jeyne when Neddy went to wash his hands before lunch.

She found Jon in the kitchen, placing bubble wrap around gadgets she was sure he was unable to name or identify a use for.  They were either ones she’d brought back from LA or among those Dany had insisted he purchase when buying the house. 

“Hey”, she said, smiling at him. 

“You’re back.”  Jon placed whatever he was wrapping on the counter, and moved over to kiss her. 

“I was thinking about the last time we packed up a house”, Jon told her between kisses.  “Do you remember how we said goodbye to each and every room?”

“Oh, I have no doubt we’ll do the same thing here over the next few days.  On several occasions”, Sansa told him.  She pulled away slightly, and took Jon’s hand in hers. 

Sansa led him through to the dining room and stared momentarily at the table. 

She remembered Valentine’s Day.  It had been a Saturday and Jon had ordered her out of the house for two hours.  Sansa had huffily gone to visit her mother, and bit her tongue at the suggestion that they celebrate by spending the day in bed together. 

When she returned, it was to find that Jon had bathed the entire hallway, living room and dining room in candlelight and set out a dinner for them with all her favourite foods.  When Sansa finished her lemon cheesecake, there was a special treat for her at the bottom. 

And then, Jon had got down on one knee and asked her to be his wife. 

Sansa had cried, ignored the stickiness on her ring, and the dishes had waited until the next morning.  Fearful of starting a fire, Sansa had only remained downstairs long enough that night to ensure all the candles had been extinguished. 

She and Jon hadn’t made Sunday lunch the following day.  They barely left their bed until Jon had to go to work on Monday morning. 

“Do you remember?  The day you proposed?” Sansa asked. 

“I do”, Jon grinned.  “Currently the happiest day of my life so far, but I’m hoping our wedding will be better.  Though even if it isn’t, we can’t admit that to Dany.  She’s done too much for us.”

Sansa giggled.  “What was it this time?”

“Flowers.”

Sansa looked around the room.  “I’m going to miss this place.  It was our first home together.”

“It was”, Jon agreed.  There was a wistful look to his face, and Sansa decided this was her moment. 

“I think we’ll be happy at the new house, though.”  She took Jon’s hand, still in hers, and placed it over her belly so he couldn’t mistake her meaning.  “All three of us.”

“All – all three?”  Jon blurted out.  He got such a look of wonder and hope in his eyes that Sansa felt guilty for ever doubting he would have any other reaction.  “You mean you’re – are – you’re sure?”

“Very sure.  Doc. Luwin confirmed it today.  The pills he put me on for the ‘flu interfered with my birth control.  The baby is due in the spring.” Sansa beamed as Jon pulled her in for a kiss. 

“Sansa, I never in a million years thought I could be anywhere near as happy as I am with you”, Jon told her when they broke apart.  “I mean it.  You’re the one.”

“Yeah, I think you’re my one”, Sansa replied.  She took Jon’s hand.  “Come on, let’s leave the packing and go upstairs to celebrate.  Jeyne says we’re fine to.  I couldn’t bring myself to ask Doc. Luwin.  We’ve still got another few hours before the dinner I promised we’d go to at Jeyne and Robb’s.”

Jon held back.  “Telling Robb I was in love with you was pretty scary.  Telling him – and Ned – that I wanted to marry you was even scarier.  Can we just leave him to find out about this on his own?”

Sansa laughed, and reminded Jon who had given her ‘flu in the first place.

“I like your way of thinking”, Jon grinned. 

**********

Jon couldn’t remove the smile planted on his face as he and Sansa took a car over to Robb’s apartment. 

He had reminded Sansa of what Gilly had told him once about waiting until the initial three month period was up, and they agreed that their parents, Robb and Jeyne, and Dany would be the only ones to know before that. 

Jon doubted he’d ever call Rhaegar father, but they were getting so much closer now.  And his son or daughter would be the first to call Rhaegar grandfather.  He was looking forward to telling him on their next video call. 

Jon doubted he’d ever call Rhaegar father, but the little boy or girl growing moment by moment inside Sansa would call _him_ by that title.  Or some variation of it. 

He grabbed onto Sansa’s hand and squeezed it tightly, trying to convey as much as he could that this meant the world and some to him. 

They were going to be a family and that was what Jon wanted more than anything. 

They hadn’t long arrived, and were playing a card game with Lyarra and Neddy, when Robb re-appeared with take-out from the diner across the street.  Jon watched as his soon-to-be niece and nephew ran and jumped up at their father, who had been away for all of ten minutes. 

He grinned at the thought of his own children doing the same in the very near future, and had to remind himself that he and Sansa had a long way to go before they were at two children, never mind the three Robb had.

The night reminded Jon very much of the Fridays the four of them had shared following Sansa’s return to New York to star in _Alayne_. 

Jon still mentally puffed out his chest with pride at the memory of her standing on stage at the TONY Awards, dedicating her win to him.  He had told her more than once before the ceremony that she deserved to win.  But, as Sansa had pointed out to him, his opinion was more than a little biased. 

Once Robb had moved the dishes over to the sink, Jon turned to Sansa and nodded.  Sansa had told him that Jeyne knew, and had promised not to say anything to Robb.

“So, I had fun with Jeyne and the kids at Ellie’s appointment today”, Sansa told her brother.  Jon held back a grin at the conversational tone in her voice.  “Doc. Luwin is pretty good with kids.”

“He is”, Jeyne agreed.  “Don’t you think so, Robb?”

“Yeah.  I guess.”  He shrugged and topped up his wine.  Jon took some more, and was grateful that Jeyne wasn’t taking any.  It made Sansa’s refusal less conspicuous. 

“That’s why I’m glad he’ll be our doctor over the next few months”, Sansa added.  “Baby Snow deserves the best, after all.”

“Baby – baby Snow?” Robb repeated.  He narrowed his eyes and moved them between Jon and Sansa.  As terrible as it was, Jon briefly considered using Sansa as a shield against her brother. 

“Robb Stark!” Jeyne nudged her husband.  “You know damn well that I was pregnant with Lyarra when we got married.  You can hardly think that Sansa and Jon have been living together for the best part of a year without doing anything close to – “

“Okay, okay!” Robb raised his arms in surrender. 

Jon twitched a little.  He knew Robb was happy he and Sansa were together – he’d made that more than clear the day Jon had spoken to Robb and Ned about his intention to propose to Sansa on Valentine’s Day. 

But Jon also knew that Robb was weirded out by the thought of his best friend and little sister together.

“Congratulations”, Robb offered.  He hugged Sansa and then Jon tightly.  “Welcome to the club.  Enjoy the next few months.  After that, you’ve years of sleep deprivation, invasion of your privacy and vomit to look forward to.”

“Thanks?” Jon replied.  Nothing could bring him down from this high.  Not tonight.  Not even the thought of having to clean up vomit.  After all, he’d been around Lyarra, Neddy and now Ellie since they were born.  And he knew Sam’s children well. 

Jon was entering into fatherhood with his eyes as wide open as they could be. 

“So, we also have news”, Jeyne grinned.  Jon sent a puzzled look at her, as she grabbed Robb’s hand tightly. 

“Uh, yeah”, Robb blushed.  “Seems that you two aren’t the only ones who are going to be searching for pineapple or whatever in the middle of the night.”

“You too?”  Jon went round to hug Jeyne and Robb.  “Wow.  This is definitely strange.  They’ll be the same age.  Almost like siblings rather than cousins.”

Jon found he liked the thought of that.   

“We should all tell Arya at the same time”, Jeyne suggested.  “It’ll freak her out no end.  She already thinks we’re mental for having three children.  Imagine what she’ll think about a fourth.”

“Arya’s reaction should be good”, Robb mused, scratching his beard.  

“Oh, I think Lysa’s will be funnier”, Sansa countered, a wicked grin across her face.  

Jon wrapped his arms around Sansa and held her tightly.  He pressed a soft kiss to the side of her head and gave thanks to any deity who existed that he’d finally found everything he was looking for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After all the angst I put them through, I figured Jon and Sansa deserved a happy ending! :)


End file.
